Continental has been awarded a gold medal in the 2026 EcoVadis Sustainability Rating, scoring 84 out of 100 points and ranking among the top 5% of all companies assessed by EcoVadis worldwide. It marked the first time the company was evaluated in the “manufacture of rubber tyres and tubes” industry category, a shift from its previous assessment under a broader automotive parts classification.
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What EcoVadis Measures
EcoVadis is an independent sustainability assessment platform used by large corporations to evaluate their supply chains. Its rating covers four themes: environment, labor and human rights, ethics, and sustainable procurement. Continental achieved its highest scores — 86 points each — in the environment and labor and human rights categories.
| Category | Score |
|---|---|
| EcoVadis Overall | 84/100 (Gold Medal) |
| Environment | 86/100 |
| Labor & Human Rights | 86/100 |
| Global Ranking | Top 5% of 150,000+ companies |
| Renewable/recycled materials in production (2025) | 28% |
| Target by 2030 | ≥40% |
| CO₂ reduction from production (last 4 years) | ~180,000 metric tons |
Materials and Emissions Progress
In 2025, Continental increased the share of recycled and renewable production materials to 28%, with a stated target of at least 40% by 2030. According to the company, materials currently in use include polyester derived from recycled PET bottles, recycled steel, silica produced from rice husk ash, and synthetic rubber made from recycled, renewable, and circular raw materials.
On emissions, Continental has reduced absolute CO₂ output from tyre production by approximately 180,000 metric tons over the past four years. A notable operational milestone: from the start of 2026, the company has completely phased out coal and heavy fuel oil at all its production sites. Energy for steam generation and heating now comes primarily from electricity from renewable sources, biomass, biogas, liquefied petroleum gas, and natural gas.
“Even in our new industry category, with its different assessment criteria, we continue to rank among the top 5 percent of companies worldwide,” said Jorge Almeida, head of Sustainability for Continental’s Tires group sector. “Our particularly strong score in the environment theme highlights the measures and management approaches we have implemented to achieve our sustainability targets — from using renewable and recycled materials to further reducing emissions at our plants.”
What This Means for Tyre Buyers
Sustainability credentials are increasingly relevant for fleet operators and environmentally conscious consumers, especially in Europe where corporate procurement decisions often include supplier sustainability scores. Continental’s EcoVadis gold rating may carry weight in B2B decisions, though it does not directly affect the performance characteristics of individual tyre models sold in the aftermarket.
The material shift toward recycled and renewable inputs is a longer-term trend across the tyre industry, with Michelin and Bridgestone pursuing similar targets. Continental’s 28% current share and 40% target for 2030 align it broadly with its peers, though the exact definitions of what counts as “sustainable” material vary between manufacturers and are largely self-reported. The EcoVadis assessment provides at least a third-party framework for comparison. Continental’s full product line — including recent launches like the Continental CrossContact A/T² — continues to be evaluated on performance metrics separately from these sustainability figures.