Ford outpaces CO2 emissions targets
BY ROBBIE WALLIS | 28th Jun 2018
FORD Motor Company has announced it has met its self-imposed carbon dioxide emission reduction targets eight years ahead of time, cutting emissions from manufacturing operations by 30 per cent since 2010.
Originally aiming to reach the figure by 2025, the goal has resulted in the Blue Oval brand reducing its global manufacturing emissions by more than 3.4 metric tons of CO2, equivalent to 728,000 passenger vehicles driven for one year.
According to Ford’s annual sustainability report, efficiencies were achieved in areas such as installing more than 100,000 LED light fixtures, refining machine lubricating procedures, and updating its paint operations by using technology allowing for wet-on-wet paint application, eliminating the need for an energy-sapping drying oven.
The car-maker will now focus on new goals – namely increasing the use of renewable energy and maintaining energy efficiencies.
It has reduced facility energy consumption by 6.8 per cent compared to 2014, and will now aim to reduce vehicle emissions by investing $US11 billion ($A14.98b) to produce 40 hybrid and fully electric vehicles by 2022.
Currently, Ford uses eight sustainable organic materials – soy, wheat, rice, castor, hibiscus, tree cellulose, jute and coconut – in production vehicles, and is collaborating with European manufacturers BMW Group, Daimler and Volkswagen Group to launch Ionity, a fast-charging EV network consisting of 400 stations to be built in key European locations by 2020.
In comparison to Ford’s emission targets, General Motors announced in last year’s sustainability report that it had reached one of its environmental footprint targets early, reducing operational carbon emissions by 22 per cent three years ahead of time.
Originally slated for 2020, the targets revolve around reducing energy, carbon, water and waste intensity. It has plans to introduce 20 new EVs by 2023, with two to launch within the next year in North America.
GM is also aiming to achieve 100 per cent renewable energy use in all global operations by 2050, with the goal of reaching 20 per cent of the way by the end of this year.
Having recently added 27 new facilities, GM now owns 142 landfill-free facilities around the world, with the aim to increase to 150 facilities by 2020, and eventually to become a zero-waste company.
Last year, GM was also the only car manufacturer to be recognised by the Dow Jones Sustainability Index for North America, while also being present on the World Index.
