JLR: Pioneering Sustainable Rubber Tyres on Luxury Vehicles

The rubber is about to hit the road for Jaguar Land Rover – and this time, it is sustainable.

JLR has partnered with global tyre manufacturer Pirelli to pioneer the use at scale of Forest Stewardship Council-certified rubber tyres.

The rubber and rayon tyres will be rolled out on JLR’s luxury vehicles range – starting with the new Range Rover Electric.

Luxury – and sustainability

Andrea Debbane, Sustainability Director at JLR, said the company is attempting to achieve a balance between providing luxury and speeding up sustainability.

Andrea said: “This is an exciting point in our sustainable luxury journey, as we partner with Pirelli, a company that shares JLR’s sustainability ambition and is at the forefront of sustainable tyre production.”

She added: “We're looking at every aspect of our vehicles to find solutions that enable us to redefine luxury in a way that's better for people and the planet.

“By choosing Pirelli's FSC-certified tyres, we're offering our clients high-quality, high-performance tyres whilst supporting responsible forest management and protecting the communities in our rubber supply chain to drive real progress.”

What is behind the partnership?

The JLR and Pirelli agreement is an industry first, which ensures the supply to JLR of “high quality tyres with fully verified ethical standards and origin”.

JLR said its adoption of FSC-certified tyres is in line with its Reimagine strategy, which promotes responsible sourcing and supply chain traceability.

The partnership is seen as a significant step forward in the automotive industry’s adoption of sustainable natural rubber.

JLR will be the first luxury car manufacturer to adopt FSC-certified tyres at scale, transitioning all tyres from Pirelli across its entire portfolio.

The commitment will amount to over 250,000 FSC-certified tyres per year.

About the Forest Stewardship Council

The FSC is an international non-profit organisation that promotes responsible management of the world's forests.

It ensures forestry practices are environmentally sound, socially beneficial and economically viable via standards and certification for wood and forest products, aiding consumers in identifying responsibly sourced items. 

The FSC's comprehensive criteria encompass biodiversity protection, workers' and indigenous rights, offering forest management and chain of custody certifications to verify sustainable practices from forest to final product.

Operating in over 80 countries, the FSC is a key player in advancing sustainable forestry, supported by businesses, consumers, and environmentalists.

The complex FSC chain of custody certification process verifies that FSC-certified material has been identified and separated from non-certified material as it makes its way along the supply chain, from the plantations to the tyre manufacturer – meaning it is fully verified to be sustainably farmed to the highest standards.

Innovation is a must for Pirelli

A JLR statement said: “As part of its Reimagine strategy, JLR is fully committed to responsible sourcing, including working to ensure natural rubber used in its tyre production is traceable across every processing stage through to origin.”

Matteo Battaini, Pirelli Head of Sustainability & New Mobility, said: "Innovation in materials and reliability on our products' sustainability features are a must for us. 

“The FSC certification confirms that forests are managed to preserve biological diversity, while benefiting local workers and communities in a way that is economically beneficial for them.”

He added: “We are pleased that JLR has chosen to join our Pirelli journey as the first car maker to use Pirelli tyres with this certification across a wide range of vehicles."

Making a name for itself

FSC insights show that awareness and understanding of the FSC logo is increasing.

A 2023 survey revealed 77% of people in the UK recognise the logo and 71% would be very or fairly likely to give preference to FSC-certified products.

In addition to introducing FSC-certified products across JLR’s portfolio, Pirelli and JLR are working together to increase the percentage of sustainable and recycled content of all tyres supplied to JLR as they work towards shared sustainability ambitions.   

JLR said: “JLR has also strengthened its global sourcing process to enable supplier evaluation on ESG criteria, as part of its effort to set new benchmarks for environmental, societal and community impact as a luxury business.

“By empowering buyers to collect supplier-specific ESG data it can identify and select suppliers that can demonstrate they meet the highest standards relating to environmental performance, labour practices, and social responsibility.”

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