Climate Change Strategic Principles

Our approach to greenhouse gas (GHG) stabilization is aligned around the following key strategic principles:

1. Technical, economic and policy approaches to climate change need to recognize that all carbon dioxide (CO₂) molecules (or GHG equivalents) produced by human activities make the same contribution to the atmosphere’s concentration of greenhouse gases. Once those molecules reach the atmosphere, they contribute to the greenhouse effect, regardless of the source. However, the cost of reducing those emissions varies significantly depending on their source, and we should attempt to achieve the most economically efficient solutions possible.
2. The transportation sector represents a closely interdependent system, characterized by the equation: “Vehicle + Fuel + Driver = GHG emissions.” Each link in this chain depends on the others. For example, vehicle manufacturers can bring to market flexible-fuel vehicles, but successfully reducing GHG emissions with them will depend on fuel companies providing renewable biofuels, as well as consumer demand for the vehicles and fuels.
3. Future developments in technologies, ever-changing markets, consumer demand and political uncertainties require flexible solutions. The business strategies that Ford implements, and the public policies that we encourage, must have the flexibility to succeed in a range of potential scenarios.
4. Early affordable steps to reduce GHG emissions from our products and processes may delay the need for drastic and costly reductions later. Lack of agreement on long-term solutions cannot be used as an excuse to avoid near-term actions.