Asia Pacific and Africa is Ford’s fastest-growing region. We expect 60 to 70 percent of Ford’s growth in the next 10 years will come from this part of the world. As with many rapidly expanding economies, the region is also faced with mounting challenges related to the environment – air quality, water scarcity and hazardous waste, to mention a few. Ford plans to be part of the solution to these sustainability challenges; it is vital for our customers, our team and our business.

We are currently pursuing Ford’s largest and fastest manufacturing expansion in more than 50 years to support our aggressive growth plan for the Asia Pacific and Africa region. At the same time, we are investing heavily in green technologies to reduce the environmental impact of our products and facilities, help local communities and make Ford a great place to work for our employees.

We are committed to offering great products with leading fuel efficiency in the region. When we introduce 50 new vehicles and powertrains to the region by mid-decade, we will significantly expand the availability of the EcoBoost® engine, which improves fuel efficiency by 20 percent and reduces carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions by 15 percent. The innovative EcoBoost powertrain is being well received by customers. In China in 2012, 66 percent of the Mondeos sold and 98 percent of the Edges sold were equipped with the EcoBoost engine. In 2013, we will expand the EcoBoost range in the region to include 1.0L, 1.6L, 1.5L and 2.0L engines, and we will more than double the number of vehicles available with EcoBoost engines as compared with 2012. In fact, EcoBoost engines will be available in every market in our region.

In our plants, we are using cutting-edge green manufacturing technologies and processes to save water and energy and reduce emissions and waste to landfill. For example:

• Of the eight global Ford plants that use the industry-leading, environmentally friendly “Three-Wet” paint process, three are in Asia Pacific and Africa. The Three-Wet process has helped Ford reduce CO₂ emissions by 15 to 25 percent and volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions by 10 percent at those facilities. More new plants in our region will also adopt this process.

• In 2012, the Ford Geelong Engine and Stamping Plant in Australia installed a new, water-efficient cooling system in its compressor house. The system utilizes air cooling most of the time and uses 80 percent less water than conventional evaporative cooling towers.

• The Chennai assembly and engine plants in India saved more than 4.72 million gallons of water in the last five years by adopting various water conservation methods and developing state-of-the-art facilities. The assembly plant now recycles 100 percent of its wastewater.

• Our Jiangling Motors Corp. assembly and engine plants in China, Chennai assembly and engine plants in India, Ford Lio Ho Assembly plant in Taiwan, and Ford Thailand Manufacturing in Thailand have all already achieved zero waste to landfill.

We are also committed to programs in each of our markets that help to build a better world. For example:

• We have been offering the Driving Skills for Life program for six consecutive years, providing free training to licensed drivers to help improve road safety and fuel efficiency. In 2012, we trained 13,500 people, bringing the total number of people trained in the region to more than 63,000.

• Our employees have taken part in the Ford Global Week of Caring volunteering initiative for seven consecutive years. In 2012, more than 3,800 employees across the region worked on 85 projects during the Global Week of Caring, with a total volunteer time of more than 21,000 hours.

• In 2013, we will strengthen our employee volunteering programs to further help local communities.

Ford has a long history of providing great products and value to society in a way that builds a strong business and a better world. We are committed to continuing that legacy here in Asia Pacific and Africa.

Dave Schoch
President
Ford Asia Pacific and Africa