- Ford’s blueprint for sustainability outlines the company’s CO2 strategy through the year 2030.
- Ford last year launched EcoBoost, an engine technology that mates direct injection and turbocharging to a gasoline engine to improve vehicle fuel economy and CO2 emissions.
- Through collaborations with local-market partners, Ford is developing a variety of personal transportation options to individuals facing growing mobility challenges in densely populated urban centers under a new program called “Urban Mobility Network.”
- Since 2000, Ford has reduced its global operational energy use by 30 percent and CO2 emissions from its facilities by 39 percent.
- Ford joins the United Nations Global Compact, reinforcing its commitment to human rights and other important responsibilities of global companies.
The report -- the ninth formal, nonfinancial report published by the company – provides updates on the key topics of climate change, mobility, vehicle safety, human rights and sustaining Ford, focusing on the mid-2007 to early 2008 timeframe. It also features commentary from several internal and external experts on important sustainability issues.
While 2007 was a challenging year for Ford, it also was a year of important developments that will help lay the foundation for recovery and growth and position Ford for the long term.
Ford is changing. It is becoming smaller, leaner, more globally integrated and more focused on meeting our customers’ needs and wants. It is also a company with sustainability at the heart of its business. Ford’s vision for the 21st century is to provide sustainable transportation that is affordable in every sense of the word: socially, environmentally and economically.
“It became abundantly clear to us that Ford’s future success will be determined in no small part by how effectively it responds to sustainability challenges,” said Sue Cischke, group vice president, Sustainability, Environment and Safety Engineering. “One thing is certain; the future will not look like the present, so we need to respond to sudden changing conditions.”
Some significant highlights from the report include:
- A review of Ford’s blueprint for reducing CO2 emissions by 30 percent by 2030. It includes near-, mid- and long-term product and technology actions that incorporate fuel-saving technologies into the company’s product cycle plan and continuing research on the development of breakthrough technologies.
- In 2007, Ford unveiled EcoBoost, an engine technology that combines gasoline engines with direct injection and turbocharging technology to improve vehicle fuel economy without sacrificing performance.
- Ford of Europe launched its ECOnetic vehicle portfolio, which will achieve class-leading CO2 emissions levels.
- The Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) of our cars and trucks (U.S.) improved 5.9 percent for the 2007 model year compared to the 2006 model year.
- Since 2000, Ford has reduced its global operational energy use by 30 percent and CO2 emissions from its facilities by 39 percent.
- In July 2007, Ford and Southern California Edison announced a multimillion-dollar, multi-year evaluation demonstration program to study the performance of 20 Escape Plug-in Hybrid Vehicles.
- In 2007, Ford engaged local stakeholders and developed partnerships in a number of global locations to bring a new program that provides integrated urban mobility services to underserved and overcrowded areas. This year, Ford and the University of Michigan revealed the results of this effort with the announcement of the first three pilot cities to test the program (Chennai and Bangalore, India and Cape Town, South Africa).
- In April of 2008, Ford joined the United Nations Global Compact, reinforcing its commitment to human rights and other important responsibilities of global companies.
To ensure the report’s thoroughness and accuracy, Ford worked with a team from Ceres, a coalition of investors, environmental groups and other public interest organizations working with companies on sustainable business practices. The Ceres stakeholder team is an independent group of individuals drawn primarily from the Ceres coalition and represents a range of constituencies that have expertise in environmental, social and governance issues.
“Ford's reporting has benefited greatly from open and honest dialogue with shareholders, environmentalists and other key stakeholders on sustainability issues such as global climate change,” said Debra Hall, chief operating officer at Ceres, who led the Ceres stakeholder team that advised Ford on its Sustainability Report.
Ford first issued a Corporate Citizenship Report in 1999 to address the company's initiatives regarding social, economic and environmental issues. As industry, business environment and social expectations continue to evolve, so does the report. In 2004, it was renamed the Sustainability Report to better reflect its emphasis on the business case for its approach to environmental and social issues. The printed report is tightly focused on the company's key issues, as well as on Ford’s overall vision, strategy, challenges and opportunities, while the full report with more detailed explanation can be found on the Web at www.ford.com/go/sustainability.
“In 2008 and beyond, we will continue to develop our sustainability strategy,” Cischke said. “We are pleased with the progress we have made, we know we cannot do it alone, and it will be an exciting ride.”
Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures or distributes automobiles in 200 markets across six continents. With about 228,000 employees and about 90 plants worldwide, the company’s core and affiliated automotive brands include Ford, Lincoln, Mercury, Volvo and Mazda. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford’s products, please visit www.ford.com.
