Zoom! / Reducing emissions

The Plain Dealer
March 26, 2007

General Motors has announced its goal to reduce CO2 emissions from its North American manufacturing facilities by 40 percent by 2010, based on 2000 levels. GM is setting this target as part of its voluntary partnership in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency`s (EPA) Climate Leaders program. This reduction would equal 4.5 million metric tons and equate to annual emissions from the power consumed by 432,692 U.S. households.

The EPA`s Climate Leaders initiative is a voluntary program between industry and government that works with companies to develop long-term comprehensive climate change strategies. Companies are challenged to set aggressive, corporate-wide greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction goals and are required to report out and document progress on an annual basis.

"Our Climate Leaders partners are demonstrating corporate climate change leadership by embracing energy efficiency, green power, and technological innovation as sound business investments," said EPA Deputy Administrator Marcus Peacock.  "Many of the nationâs leading companies are working aggressively with EPA to lower their greenhouse gas emissions in ways that advance President Bushâs climate change strategy."

When it first joined the program in 2002 as a founding member, GM established a goal to reduce U.S. facility CO2 emissions by 10 percent by 2005, based on 2000 levels. The company surpassed this target in 2003 with reductions of 11.7 percent. To date, since 2000, GM has reduced U.S. facility emissions by 25 percent, or 3 million metric tons, which would equal the annual emissions from the power consumed by 288,000 U.S. households.

"GM has demonstrated that voluntary programs work, and they make good business sense," said Elizabeth A. Lowery, GM vice president, Environment and Energy. "Our partnership with the EPA`s Climate Leaders program is an excellent example of how government and industry together can encourage innovation and strong, forward-thinking action to help reduce environmental impact."

GM`s CO2 reductions can be largely attributed to numerous efforts by the company to increase energy efficiency, reduce waste, increase the use of renewable resources such as landfill gas and solar power, and optimize efficiencies across all aspects of the manufacturing process. For example, GM is the largest corporate user of landfill gas in the U.S.

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