We take concerns about the environment seriously. To address these concerns, we're implementing far-reaching environmental programs to improve our products, plants and processes. We're also integrating new technologies that offer breakthrough improvements in fuel economy and yield real-world results.
Protecting the Environment
Recognizing that the manufacture and operation of cars, trucks and SUVs impacts the environment, we have committed significant resources to the following initiatives:
- Developing advanced environmentally friendly vehicle technologies. We're a leading researcher developing clean diesel, renewable fuels such as ethanol, and hydrogen-fueled internal combustion engines and fuel cell vehicles. We're also producing partial zero emission vehicles (PZEVs), flexible fuel vehicles and hybrid electric cars, trucks and SUVs.
- Meeting and exceeding new clean air standards. Our goal is to develop and certify vehicles that comply with and provide the opportunity to exceed the Environmental Protection Agency's stringent Tier II emission standards, which are 98% cleaner than prior standards.
- Reducing the environmental impact of our plants. All Ford product development and manufacturing sites have been certified to the ISO 14001 global environmental management system standard. We're also developing sustainable and clean manufacturing facilities such as the new Ford Rouge Center and other sites worldwide.
- Recycling and reusing materials. We're working to make our vehicles more recyclable, and we're contracting with suppliers to specify environmentally friendly parts and components.
- Conserving natural resources. We take part in global environmental programs to conserve energy and water. Our facilities voluntarily reduce carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxide, and volatile organic compound emissions and solid waste
Our Environmentally Responsible Policies
We're actively working with broad-based coalitions of industrial, educational, governmental and non-governmental organizations. Our policies have been developed to:
- Grow the market for advanced technology vehicles. We support market-based incentives that encourage the purchase of advanced technologies, like the federal tax credits for consumers who buy advanced-technology vehicles, including hybrid cars, advanced diesels and hydrogen-fueled vehicles included in the U.S. Energy Policy Act of 2005. We're also working with state policy makers to encourage state fleet procurement plans and customer sales tax exemptions for these vehicles.
- Advance the scientific and technical knowledge base. Ford has research associations with companies such as BP and with universities such as Princeton and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, to promote knowledge-based and market-based climate change and environmental policy solutions.
