Progress
In 2008, Ford made significant progress on the environmental aspects of its products and operations. For example:
- Ford committed that, beginning with the 2010 model year, all new or significantly redesigned vehicles will be best in class or among the best in class for fuel economy in their segment. All of the 2010 model year vehicles released in North America as of May 2009, as well as many 2009 model year vehicles, meet this commitment.
- For the 2008 model year, the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) of Ford's cars and trucks increased by 2.9 percent relative to 2007. Preliminary data for the 2009 model year show a 4.0 percent improvement in CAFE compared to 2008.
- Ford is developing a comprehensive sustainable materials strategy to maximize the effectiveness and broaden the implementation of sustainable materials in our vehicles. One of the key goals of this strategy is to identify and globally implement materials technologies that improve environmental and social performance and lower costs. We also continue to expand our use of recycled and renewable materials.
- For the fourth consecutive year, Ford was honored with an Energy Star Sustained Excellence Award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). This award recognizes Ford's continued leadership in and commitment to protecting the environment through energy efficiency.
- Ford reduced facilities CO2 emissions by over 44 percent from 2000 to 2008 and facilities CO2 per vehicle by 24 percent from 2000 to 2008.
- Ford continued its leadership in facility greenhouse gas (GHG) reporting in 2008. In China, we became the first automaker to release a GHG emissions report; the report covers emissions from our Chongqing facility. In the U.S., we were the first automaker to join The Climate Registry, a voluntary carbon disclosure project that links several state-sponsored GHG emissions-reporting efforts, including the California Climate Action Registry and the Eastern Climate Registry.
- Ford continued to reduce water use and waste sent to landfill in 2008. We reduced global water use by 24 percent and landfilled waste by 22 percent, relative to 2007.
2008 Year-Over-Year Environmental Performance Metrics
| Metric | 2008 Target | 2008 Actual | 2009 Target |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy Use | |||
| Facility energy efficiency (Global) | 3% improvement | 12% increase1 | 3% improvement |
| Facility energy efficiency (North America) | 3% improvement | 4.5% improvement2 | 3% improvement |
| Energy use | No specific goal; continue use reductions | 33.7% compared to 2000 levels | No specific goal; continue use reductions |
| Emissions | |||
| VOC emissions from painting at North American assembly plants | Maintain 24 gms/sq meter | Maintained 24 gms/sq meter | Maintain 24 gms/sq meter |
| Water Use | |||
| Water use (Global) | 3% reduction | 24% reduction | 6% reduction |
| Waste Production | |||
| Landfill waste (Global) | 5% reduction | 22% reduction | 10% reduction |
Energy efficiency is calculated in million Btus (mmBtu) per unit. For our global efficiency calculation, the energy use is not adjusted for variances in production or weather. We experienced a reduction in global energy efficiency due to a 17 percent reduction in production during 2008. Plants in shutdown mode reduced but did not entirely eliminate their energy use. Although our energy use per vehicle produced was less efficient in 2008, we reduced global energy consumption by seven percent due to significantly lower production volumes.
This is a percent improvement in our North American energy efficiency index, which is normalized based on an engineering calculation that adjusts for typical variances in weather and vehicle production. The Index was set at 100 for the year 2000 to simplify tracking against our target of one percent improvement in energy efficiency. Therefore, the 4.5% improvement in 2008 is based on a year 2000 baseline.