Sustainability is integral to General Motors’ business strategy and core to the company’s global operations, as demonstrated in its latest Sustainability Report (gmsustainability.com) released today.
Guided by the vision of a future with zero crashes, zero emissions and zero congestion, the company is addressing societal and environmental challenges while transforming the future of mobility. By tackling these issues, General Motors has the potential globally each year to help save some of the 1.25 million lives lost in vehicle crashes; help eliminate the more than 2 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide from vehicle emissions; and reduce congestion, giving commuters back time otherwise spent in traffic.
“We are in the midst of a transportation revolution as groundbreaking technologies and evolving customer lifestyles transform our vehicles and how we use them,” said General Motors Chairman and CEO Mary Barra. “We have the right team, technology, partners, manufacturing scale and mindset to lead this revolution.”
Highlights from the 2017 Sustainability Report include:
- Delivering an electrified future — With at least 20 new, all-electric models launching globally by 2023, General Motors is poised to deliver on its vision of an all-electric, emissions-free future. In response to global demand, Bolt EV production will increase this year. The company also is positioned to lead in key EV markets including the U.S. and China, and it is partnering with utilities, communities, governments and others to accelerate the charging infrastructure while working to increase consumer acceptance.
- Furthering fuel efficiency — As General Motors moves closer to an all-electric portfolio, near-term improvements across traditional vehicles continue, including the company’s efficient fundamentals strategy with advances in engine and transmission efficiency, aerodynamics, vehicle lightweighting and other technologies to reduce fuel use and cost. Since 2016, General Motors has shed more than 5,000 pounds across 14 new-vehicle models, saving 35 million gallons of gasoline and 300 thousand metric tons of CO2 emissions per year.
- Advancing autonomous driving — General Motors is the first automaker to use mass-production methods for autonomous vehicles (AV) and is the only company to produce self-driving vehicles at scale. Marking a significant milestone, the company announced that production versions of the Cruise AV will be built at General Motors’ Orion Assembly plant in Michigan, with commercialization in 2019.
- Reshaping personal mobility — In response to increasing global populations in urban areas, the Maven suite of shared mobility solutions has expanded to capitalize on the growing popularity of car sharing and ridesharing and is reducing congestion.
- Accelerating and scaling renewable energy — Progress continues on General Motors’ pledge to source 100 percent renewable energy for its electricity needs globally by 2050. The company uses 371 megawatts of energy from renewable sources now, and by the end of 2018 renewable energy will power 20 percent of the company’s global electricity use.
- Responsible Manufacturing — Since 2010, General Motors has reduced the energy intensity of its operations by 15 percent, generating $135 million in cost savings. The company surpassed its 2020 goal to reduce the carbon intensity of its operations by 20 percent three years early.
- Driving social impact — As the U.S. lags behind other nations in its pipeline of STEM talent, General Motors is focused on more than 100 initiatives to reverse this trend. Through its support for Code.org, the company will reach 40,000 secondary students in 2018. On average, General Motors actively recruits an employee for a STEM position every 26 minutes.
- Workforce diversity — General Motors invests in leader skills development through its Women in Action Initiative, which attracted more than 6,700 employee participants. And 32 percent of top leadership positions at General Motors are held by women.
General Motors’ integrated approach to sustainability includes stakeholder engagement and proactive and voluntary disclosure. Independent third parties have recognized the company’s progress. It has been named to the Dow Jones Sustainability Index – North America and World Indices, was ranked in the Just 100 by Just Capital as the only automaker on the list and was named as one of the 100 Best Corporate Citizens for the second year in a row.
To experience the interactive report and learn about some of the other ways General Motors is driving value through environmental, social and governance factors, visit www.GMSustainability.com
