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Ford Motor Company Receives
5th Annual EARTH
ANGEL AWARD
as Most Earth Friendy Automaker
by Martha Hindes
Going green has become a way of life at Ford Motor Company. From company President and Chief Executive Officer Alan Mulally to those who tend to company property and grounds, protecting the environment is a primary responsibility on a daily basis.
Those familiar with buildings near company headquarters in Dearborn, Michigan can see some of that commitment first hand, where fields of air purifying flowers bloom during summer months and a nearby production facility wears a "green" roof of plants to help purify and recycle runoff water used there.
Ford was one of the earliest companies to recognize the need for an environmentally sustainable way of doing business and to begin that transformation to achieve it. That commitment has become reflected in every Ford facility, in the materials used in production and in the atmosphere it encourages throughout the company.
In the 12th annual Ford Sustainability Report Ford put out last June, it cited progress in improving fuel economy and safety and a decrease in greenhouse gas emissions and water use among its sustainable operations.
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| Ford Motor Company earns 5th Annual Earth Angel Award for Most Earth Friendly automaker. Accepting the coveted award (l) is John Viera, Global Director, Sustainability & Vehicle Matters, Ford Motor Company. Presenting the trophy (r) are Courtney Caldwell, Editor, Road & Travel Magazine and Earth Angel Award founder; and Mike Martini, president Bridgestone America OE and ICOTY sponsor. (Photo by Jeff Kowalsky) |
"Since 2000, our manufacturing facilities worldwide have reduced overall energy use by 40 percent, decreased CO2 emissions by 49 percent and cut water use by 62 percent," said Mulally in presenting the report.
Ford's commitment in protecting the environment is evident in the billions of dollars the company has invested in research and development of new, more efficient products and the way those products are built. According to the report, 12 Ford vehicles now have best in class fuel economy, while four of its vehicle models get at least 40 miles per gallon, an achievement no other auto company has matched.
Globally, toxic CO2 omissions from operations have been substantially reduced at Ford facilities. When measured on a per vehicle basis, which equals a 5.6 percent reduction since 2009. Ford aims to improve the reduction in CO2 emissions at those worldwide operations by 30 percent with the target date of 2025. And although measures have long been in place to reduce water usage, the company included in the report the anticipated reduction of water use through the end of 2011 globally by 5 percent.
Along with Nissan and Tesla, in 2009 in a government/industry partnership, Ford was one of three companies to qualify for U.S. Department of Energy funds to equip, expand or establish manufacturing facilities in the U.S. to produce advanced technology vehicles or qualifying components. Engineering integration costs for those projects was included. Those direct loans (unrelated to Troubled Asset Relief Program, or TARP funding) became available because Ford had demonstrated it had top "green" technologies that could "move the needle" on better fuel economy and help reduce oil imports. The company also met the program's stringent financial viability test.
The subsequent year, with help from that program, Ford invested $400 million to prepare its Chicago (Illinois) Assembly Plant for production of the Ford Explorer, all new for 2011 with as much as a 30 percent fuel economy improvement over the previous model. Similar investments were in place to also transform the Louisville (Kentucky) and Kansas City (Missouri) assembly plants.
A company partnership with the State of Michigan, its home base, included $188 million in incentives and tax credits that helped bring advanced battery design, development and assembly used in hybrid vehicles back within Ford. The fuel-saving battery-electric Ford Focus is built at the company's Michigan Assembly Plant near company headquarters that, following a $550 million conversion program, incorporates all phases of green and flexible manufacturing along with the products. The plant operates on a blend of electricity from solar panels stored in batteries and conventional electricity.
"We have committed to being a leader in fuel economy with every new product," said Mulally in releasing the sustainability report. "Globally we have introduced dozens of new vehicles that meet or beat their competitors for fuel economy." With a 20 percent fuel economy gain between 2005 and 2010, "we are on track to boost fuel economy by more than 35 percent by 2015." he added.
With those gains and the company's definitive plan and purpose for making continuing advances in protecting the environment, Road & Travel Magazine is pleased to present Ford with the Earth Angel Award as the Most Earth Friendly Automaker of 2012.
Ford Focus Named
2012 International Compact Car of the Year
- Most Spirited -
by Road & Travel Magazine
Review | Press Release
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About Earth, Wind & Power Media – The goal of EWP Media (blog, website and awards) is to educate, enlighten, and empower consumers about alternative energy sources such as solar, wind, water and other natural resources so they can make informed decisions on which energy efficient vehicles to buy, improve and change their daily living habits with greener home and garden products and services, explore cleaner travel options such as LEED hotels, and support airlines that are transitioning to fuel efficient planes, as well as other eco-friendly travel options. EWP aims to help educate consumers on where to find and how to use the tools necessary to convert their everyday lives into an organic and balanced state of living with and on our one and only planet.
The mission of the EWP Awards is to honor vehicles that are driven by a power source that helps improve climate change by reducing the amount of CO2 emissions poured into the Earth’s atmosphere, promote a cleaner environment, and support the ultimate mission to achieve energy independence through alternative power sources. Vehicles are judged on how environmentally progressive they are in reducing greenhouse gases in the Earth’s atmosphere.
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