Collaborations to develop a range of technologies will be key to achieving sustainability goals, says Martin Lundstedt to packed audience at CES keynote

It was standing room only on Wednesday morning at the Venetian Convention Center in Las Vegas as Volvo Group president and CEO Martin Lundstedt delivered his keynote address at the 2025 CES trade fair.

The need for partnerships and collaborations to achieve sustainability goals was a clear theme throughout CEO Martin Lundstedt’s Wednesday morning CES keynote

The need for partnerships and collaborations to achieve sustainability goals was a clear theme throughout CEO Martin Lundstedt’s Wednesday morning CES keynote

Lundstedt shared Volvo Group’s multi-pronged approach to achieving its goal of net zero value chain greenhouse gas emissions by 2040, with observations on battery electric, hydrogen fuel cells and internal combustion engines running on renewable biofuels.

“Driving prosperity is about providing solutions that make modern life work here and now, while at the same time, working tirelessly to improve solutions and deliver new ones to shape the world that we want to live in,” said Lundstedt. “We believe that no single technology will be the answer to lowering emissions. This is why we have adopted a multi-pronged approach to decarbonisation. However, creating the complete ecosystem for fossil free transport is not something that any one company can do alone. We need to partner up with big companies, startups, government and private sector to make this happen.

“Partnership,” he said, “is truly the new leadership.”

Joining Lundstedt on the CES main stage with their own presentations in support of accelerating investment in multiple sustainable technologies was Swedish deputy prime minister and minister for energy, business and industry, Ebba Busch; Volvo Group CTO Lars Stenqvist; and Volvo Group CPO Andres Fuder. Detailed and frank discussions of the challenges and potential benefits associated with the development and implementation of battery electric, renewable fuels and hydrogen technologies captivated the CES crowd, estimated at 7,000 people. Further discussion on the company’s autonomous solutions, with a focus on Volvo Penta’s assisted docking technology, spurred a wave of arms extending mobile phones to take photos and video.

The key takeaway, noted Lundstedt, is that the quickest path to a net-zero world involves the continual roll-out of zero-emission solutions, and the quickest path to achieving that goal lies through collaboration and partnerships.

“Volvo Group is fully committed to achieving net zero emissions by 2040,” said Lundstedt. “We have successfully launched battery powered trucks, excavators, buses and boats all across Europe, North America and worldwide. But we cannot act alone. Policymakers must accelerate the adoption of ZEV transport and infrastructure solutions. We need clean energy production, dependable charging infrastructure, and effective targeted incentives in place to hasten adoption of more sustainable technologies.”

CES continues through Friday at the Las Vegas Convention Center and multiple satellite venues.

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