In 2010, Ford’s Environmental Quality Office announced a goal – to reduce the company’s carbon dioxide emissions from manufacturing operations by 30% per vehicle produced by 2025.
Now its 19th annual Sustainability Report shows Ford hit the target twice as fast as expected, with a global manufacturing CO2 emissions reduction of more than 3.4 metric tons from 2010 to 2017 – equivalent to greenhouse gas emissions from more than 728,000 passenger vehicles driven for one year.
Says Ford’s manufacturing and labour affairs group VP, Bruce Hettle: “We are proud of the work we have done to achieve this goal. We’ve made several improvements to our manufacturing operations – from the lighting we use to plant consolidations – all of which played a role in dramatically reducing our CO2 footprint.”
Ford reduced its emissions footprint through energy conservation and efficiency changes at Ford’s manufacturing facilities, such as installing more than 100,000 LED light fixtures and updating paint operations.
Adds environmental quality office director Andy Hobbs: “Painting operations use a large amount of energy. Introducing technology that allows wet-on-wet paint application and eliminates a drying oven, in more plants has significantly decreased energy use while maintaining quality.”
Minimum Quantity Lubrication is another energy-reducing technology that Ford has taken and the firm is now is working on setting a new goal – this one, focused on renewable energy.
Hettle explains: “We will continue to set ambitious goals and work to create innovative practices to achieve them. Our next strategy will focus on increasing Ford’s use of renewable energy while maintaining our energy efficiencies.”
Image credit: Ford Motor Company/Newspress
