Volvo Cars, the premium car maker, is updating its business model to a changing world and believes the car industry as a whole needs do to the same, its president and chief executive Håkan Samuelsson will announce today at the bi-annual meeting of the UN Global Compact Nordic Network in Gothenburg.

The meeting represents one of the biggest gatherings of Nordic corporate sustainability experts under the auspices of the United Nations. Over 190 delegates from 100 companies and organisations are meeting at Volvo Cars headquarters to discuss how business can support the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Volvo Cars is a founding member of the UN Global Compact, the world’s largest corporate sustainability initiative.

In his opening speech as host of the meeting, Mr Samuelsson will tell the gathered delegates that customer expectations and demands are changing and that the car industry will have to change with them. Sustainability is no longer a simple box-ticking exercise, but business-critical as well as a significant business opportunity for those companies that get it right, Mr Samuelsson will say.

“Our customers want safer, more sustainable and convenient cars,” Mr Samuelsson will say. “We can meet that demand, be a force for change and grow our business at the same time. I am confident that our next generation of fully autonomous, electrified and connected vehicles will help make the cities of the future cleaner, safer and smarter.”

This article first appeared on Volvo website.