GM Earns Perfect Scores for Climate Change Action
2014-09-23
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OSHAWA, Ont. – General Motors for the first time achieved perfect scores on both climate change data disclosure and performance submitted to CDP, the world’s only global environmental disclosure system.
Featured in the CDP SP 500 Climate Change Report 2014, GM ranks among the world’s largest companies acting in response to a changing climate.
The achievement was announced as world leaders gather in New York City during Climate Week to discuss the challenges and opportunities of global warming.
“Our customers expect us to help mitigate, if not eliminate, issues such as congestion and pollution,” said GM CEO Mary Barra. “This extends to how we build our products and how we engage with the world around us. This has led to expanded use of renewable energy, a ‘zero waste’ mindset and other initiatives that have sharply reduced our energy intensity, resource consumption and greenhouse gas emissions worldwide.”
GM asserts addressing climate change is not only good for the environment, it delivers tangible business value. With a customer-driven sustainability approach, the company restructured its product portfolio to maximize vehicle efficiencies and rethought its manufacturing process to conserve resources vital to the industry.
“Our CDP ranking shows that we’re measuring and pulling insight from our energy and carbon data to capitalize on opportunities for greater efficiency,” said Barra. “It reinforces our stewardship and sustainability goals. Responding to CDP helps us communicate to the financial community that we’re prepared for changing market demands and emissions regulation.”
The CDP program enables management of greenhouse gas emissions and risks and opportunities associated with climate change. Scores are communicated to investors and other decision makers.
The SP 500 Climate Disclosure Leadership Index highlights companies listed on the Standard Poor’s 500 Index displaying a high level of transparency and data quality in their disclosure of climate-related information. High scores indicate robust climate data and a good understanding of corporate climate change-related issues.
For the second time, GM ranks in the top 10 percent of companies for its disclosure scores. With a perfect score of 100, GM is one of 33 SP 500 companies included this year.
GM’s inclusion in the SP 500 Climate Performance Leadership Index demonstrates its commitment to managing climate change by integrating it into its business strategy and taking steps to mitigate climate-related risk. The company’s first perfect climate performance assessment of “A” makes it one of 63 such SP 500 companies.
Earlier this year, the U.S. EPA recognized GM’s efforts to raise consumer awareness of climate change with a 2014 ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year – Climate Communications Award. GM shares energy efficiency best practices within its own operations and with suppliers, partners and customers to amplify the positive effects of energy-efficient behaviours. Through reductions in energy intensity between 11 and 20% in less than 3 years, all Canadian manufacturing facilities have met the U.S. EPA’s ENERGY STAR® Challenge. Furthermore they collectively avoided 68,000 tonnes of CO2 equivalent emissions in the same time period.
Worldwide, GM is working toward a commitment to reduce energy and carbon intensity from its facilities 20 percent by 2020. The company received back-to-back ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year – Sustained Excellence awards and remains the only automaker signatory of the Climate Declaration. For more information on GM’s environmental commitment, visit its sustainability report and environmental blog.
About General Motors of Canada
Headquartered in Oshawa, Ontario, General Motors of Canada Limited (GMCL) employs more than 9,000 people across the country and is a recognized leader in green manufacturing. GMCL markets the full range of fuel-efficient Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac vehicles and related services through Canada’s largest automotive dealer network. More information regarding GMCL models can be found at www.gm.ca, or by following @GMCanada on Twitter.
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