Reducing the carbon footprint with a lean management approach in the automotive sector

The rise in global population, urbanization, and industrialization has led to a rapid escalation of environmental problems. Among these issues, climate change poses a significant threat. To tackle the effects of climate change, it is crucial to decrease greenhouse gas emissions. This study uses Kaizen, a Lean Management Approach, to analyze and reduce the carbon footprint (CFP) of a company in the automotive industry. Legal requirements, customer needs, company reputation, and marketing strategies drive businesses to calculate their Corporate CFP. In a case analysis at ABC Plant, it was found that the carbon footprint, which was 7,308 tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (t CO2 equ.) in 2023, decreased to 5,351 t CO2 equ. due to Kaizen practices, marking a 27% improvement. Within the scope of Kaizen practices, measures were implemented to enhance production efficiency, such as meeting targeted values for wastage, scrap, and repair operations, renewal the maintenance organization, and ensuring smooth product flow. These improvements resulted in a 45% increase in machine shift production and optimized energy consumption. The study demonstrates that lean management approaches effectively reduce the carbon footprint in the automotive industry. It is anticipated that similar enhancements if adopted by other companies, can help address environmental issues at both national and international levels. Furthermore, this study makes a significant contribution to the literature by providing an analysis of the current situation and continuous improvement efforts. As a result, the findings suggest that future research will yield valuable results for both the literature and practical industrial applications.