Ford Hits CO2 Emissions Targets — 8 Years Early!

Earlier this week, Ford announced that it had achieved its stated goal to reduce the CO2 emissions of its manufacturing facilities to more sustainable levels. The kicker, though, is that it didn’t just meet its 2017 goal. The Blue Oval has met its 2025 goal. (!)

I will freely admit that I’ve been a bit hard on Ford lately forever, but stuff like committing its EV development to China while its US lineup languishes is annoying. The company’s decision to wait for an NEP mandate to commit to electric, biofuel, or fuel cells is also pretty f***ing maddening. Still, this is a big win, and I’m happy to give the Ford guys a well-earned victory lap for it.

You can check out the official Ford press release, below. Then let us know what you think of the company’s efforts to reduce its carbon footprint in the comments section at the bottom of the page. While you’re there, feel free to bitch and moan about how terrible the Electric Focus is, too. Enjoy!

FORD HITS CO2 MANUFACTURING EMISSIONS REDUCTION TARGET EIGHT YEARS EARLY

• Ford Motor Company announces in its 19th annual Sustainability Report that it has achieved the company’s manufacturing emissions reduction goal eight years ahead of schedule
• The goal was set in 2010, aiming to reduce the company’s global carbon dioxide emissions from manufacturing operations by 30 percent per vehicle produced by 2025
• Ford’s energy conservation work played a major role in achieving the goal eight years early, including paint and other process improvements, LED lighting, plant consolidations and new energy efficient facilities – and more
DEARBORN — Today Ford Motor Company announces as part of its 19th annual Sustainability Report it has met its goal to reduce manufacturing emissions – eight years ahead of schedule.
In 2010, Ford’s Environmental Quality Office announced a goal – to reduce the company’s carbon dioxide emissions from manufacturing operations by 30 percent per vehicle produced by 2025. Ford hit the target twice as fast as expected. The results are dramatic, with a global manufacturing CO2 emissions reduction of more than 3.4 million metric tons from 2010 to 2017 – equivalent to greenhouse gas emissions from more than 728,000 passenger vehicles driven for one year.
“We are proud of the work we have done to achieve this goal,” said Bruce Hettle, group vice president, manufacturing and labor affairs. “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.
“Painting operations use a large amount of energy,” said Andy Hobbs, director, environmental quality office. “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. In MQL, a machining tool is lubricated with a very small amount of oil sprayed directly on the tip of the tool in a finely atomized mist, instead of with a large quantity of coolant/water mixture.
Ford now is working on setting a new goal – this one, focused on renewable energy. “We will continue to set ambitious goals and work to create innovative practices to achieve them,” said Hettle. “Our next strategy will focus on increasing Ford’s use of renewable energy while maintaining our energy efficiencies.”
Ford also remains focused on reducing vehicle emissions by doing its share to deliver on CO2 reductions consistent with the Paris Climate Accord. The company is charting its course for the future by investing $11 billion to put 40 hybrid and fully electric vehicle models on the road by 2022.

Source | Images: Ford.