Ford Motor Company has embarked on a multi-pronged initiative to reduce CO2 (carbon dioxide) emission to 450 PPM (particles per million) by the year 2050.
Disclosing this, Susan M. Cischke, who is a part of President and CEO Allan Mulally's leadership team, said Ford Motor was working towards this by going in for appropriate technological changes. While doing so, it would keep in mind the affordability of the customers, she added.
Ms. Cischke, who is also the Group Vice-President (Sustainability, Environment and Safety Engineering), visited the Ford facility at Maraimalainager near here early this week.
In an interaction with this correspondent at the plant, Ms. Cischke said Ford had already drawn up a region-wise blue print to bring about necessary changes to hit the CO2 target.
“We can't determine the science,” she said. “Given the science, what could be achieved by Ford? That would be our focus,” she said. In this context, she outlined Ford's three-pronged approach. They are: to become a fuel economy leader in every car segment that Ford gets into anywhere in the globe, to put in place a major weight-reduction project and to embrace modern technology by introducing advance electric and hybrid vehicles.
Ms. Cischke said that Ford's sustainability initiative pursued a “triple bottom line approach” which took care of social, financial and environmental components to its growth strategy. She said her job was to ensure that every product that Ford sold anywhere across the globe was legal. “We ensure that all vehicles meet the safety and emission standards of the country in which our vehicles are sold.” Though efforts were on to harmonise regulations across the globe, these had not yielded the desired results, she regretted.
Ms. Cischke said India held special interest for her. Since the company's facility here was fast becoming a global hub for Ford's small car and engines, it needed to be in line with the rules and regulations in many parts of the world.
Ford, she said, always believed that great products resulted in strong business which, in turn, led to better world. India, she said, taught Ford how to be successful in the small car space too with the launch of highly successful Figo.
She said Ford India was a pioneer in introducing “three wet paint technology”. Besides better finish, it also helped reduce emission and energy use.
Ford India had also tied up with a cement company to dispose of hazardous paint sludge which is used as a fuel in cement production.
