As an auto manufacturer showing leadership in reducing the greenhouse gas emissions of their vehicles, Ford Motor Company is also being recognized for its greenhouse gas leadership in manufacturing as well, and has received a Climate Leadership Award at the inaugural United States Environmental Protection Agency Climate Leadership Awards. Ford was the only automobile manufacturer to receive an award.
“Emissions reduction is a key element of Ford’s approach to sustainability and we plan to build on our accomplishments moving forward,” said Andy Hobbs, director, Environmental Quality Office. “This Climate Leadership Award is a symbol of the dedication our employees have made to become a leader in reducing manufacturing greenhouse gas emissions.”
Ford was the first automaker to join The Climate Registry, voluntarily committing to measure, independently verify, and publicly report greenhouse gas emissions on an annual basis. This pro-activeness has positioned the company as a leader in facilities-related greenhouse gas and energy-use reductions, who report reduced CO2 emissions from its global manufacturing facilities by approximately 49 percent, or 4.8 million metric tons, from 2000 to 2010. During this same period, the company reduced facilities-related CO2 emissions per vehicle by 30 percent.
This commitment to innovation and sustainability is also embraced by Ford Motor Company of Southern Africa (FMCSA), who was recently awarded top honours in Ford Motor Company’s Asia, Pacific and Africa Environmental Leadership Awards.
FMCSA has made great strides in innovative energy reduction initiatives at its Silverton Assembly Plant, north of Pretoria. Ford won all three categories it entered (Environmental Leadership, Environmental Benefit and Financial Impact) for its Departmental Electricity Metering and Monitoring System.
Having previously relied entirely on the electricity billing information provided by the municipality, FMCSA’s Departmental Electricity Metering and Monitoring System is now able to monitor real time electricity usage by department and plot usage trends over extended periods. Understanding how and where power is utilised means opportunities to reduce usage can be easily identified and departments can be accountable for their own consumption.
FMCSA expects to see a 5% reduction in energy usage within the first year of implementing the Departmental Electricity Metering and Monitoring System. This saving is over and above the savings already achieved through other initiatives implemented by the company, with further savings expected as departments begin to become more accountable for their consumption.
“South Africa is the first of Ford’s global markets to implement such an initiative and has now set the benchmark for other countries to aspire to,” says Jeff Nemeth, President and CEO of Ford Motor Company of Southern Africa. “We are extremely proud of the awards we have received and expect to see both a financial and environmental benefit as a result of this initiative. We’d also like to thank all of our staff for the role they are playing. The campaign is hinged around each department’s ability to be accountable for their energy usage and actively take steps towards reducing it.”
