No company can solve the climate challenge alone. For more than a century, SKF has helped customers reduce friction, energy use, and waste.

Today, that legacy lives on in our energy-efficient solutions, circular offerings, and close supplier partnerships. But the pace and scale of change required means going further—deepening collaboration across value chains, scaling the clean technologies that already exist and developing those needed to drive climate action. 

Scope 3: Shaping the way forward  

Across industries, the focus has shifted from climate ambition to climate action. For SKF, that means addressing Scope 3 emissions—those generated outside our own operations. From the materials we buy and how they are sourced, to the way our products are used by our customers and eventually recycled. Scope 3 covers all collaboration across the value chain and cannot be solved within a company alone. While they are complex and difficult to measure, they also represent our greatest opportunity for innovation and long-term value.

This is because many of the levers for reducing Scope 3 emissions such as material choices, energy systems, product design and use‑phase efficiency, are also drivers of innovation, resilience and customer value.

While SKF has validated science-based targets for Scopes 1, 2, and 3, with a commitment to net-zero by 2050, most of our climate impact sits outside our direct control, embedded in global systems like steelmaking, energy and transport. 

“For SKF, sustainability and business resilience are two sides of the same coin. Reducing emissions, improving resource efficiency and building more circular solutions is not separate from running a financially strong and future-proof business – it is how we secure long-term value for our customers, shareholders and for society. When we work together across the value chain to tackle climate challenges, we are also strengthening performance, competitiveness, and resilience in a world that is changing fast.”

Why collaboration is essential  Decarbonizing value chains requires change at every step from how raw materials are produced and how components are manufactured to how equipment is operated and maintained, and how products are reused or recycled at end of life. Acting in isolation cannot unlock the speed the transition demands.  Collaboration allows companies to send strong commitments to the market. When customers, suppliers, and technology partners move in lockstep, it becomes easier to justify changed ways of working into cleaner processes, renewable energy and low-carbon materials. Joint initiatives, shared standards and transparent data are the keys to transforming entire industries, not just individual factories.  Scaling the clean technologies we already have  Many of the technologies needed to cut emissions already exist—including renewable electricity, circular business models, and digital optimization tools. The challenge is not only about innovation, but scale.  SKF’s products and solutions already enable customers to extend equipment life and cut waste. Scaling these benefits, however, depends on close collaboration, with suppliers to decarbonize materials and with customers to optimize performance in real operating conditions. Every avoided failure, every improvement in efficiency and every component that lasts longer can contribute to lower emissions over the full life cycle. By working closely with our network, we aim to accelerate the adoption of these cleaner technologies, integrating them into complete, value‑adding solutions.

“Scope 3 is often seen as the hardest part of the climate equation, but that is exactly where the opportunity lies. By partnering closely with suppliers and customers, we can turn value-chain emissions into value-chain innovation. This is where SKF can make a real difference, combining our engineering expertise with collaboration and know-how to help accelerate decarbonization for the industry as a whole.”

A shared journey to net-zero  World Environment Day is a reminder that climate action is no longer a niche topic reserved for sustainability reports; it is a core driver of business strategy, innovation, and business performance. For SKF, the journey to net-zero emissions is inseparable from our mission to deliver valuable, reliable and efficient solutions for our customers.  Whether you are looking to optimize your operations, source low-carbon components, or pioneer circular business models, the time to scale these solutions is now.  Let’s transform our value chain together. Contact us today to discover how we can accelerate your transition to net-zero.