GM has announced that it plans to reduce CO2 emissions from its North American assembly plants by 40% by 2010, compared to 2000 levels.
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The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has encouraged GM to set the goal as part of its Climate Leaders programme, a voluntary project that helps companies develop long-term climate change strategies.
GM first joined the program in 2002. Then it established the goal of reducing emissions by 10% by 2005, compared to 2000, but GM exceeded this target by 2003, reducing emissions by 11.7%. GM says that to date it has reduced emissions by 25% since 2000, equivalent to 3m tonnes a year.
Globally GM produces around 13m tonnes CO2 from its facilities worldwide. This is equivalent to the total CO2 emissions of Lithuania, according to UK sustainable development organisation, Forum for the Future. Around three quarters of GM’s global emissions come from North America.
GM is one of the only global OEMs to have a target to reduce CO2 emissions in its facilities and in this respect it is showing leadership. Renault has a target to reduce CO2 emissions by 45% by this year compared to 1998, and several other companies have said they plan to announce greenhouse gas reduction targets in the very near future. They include PSA, BMW and DaimlerChrysler.
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By GlobalDataAround 5% of the lifetime CO2 emissions from a car are emitted by the vehicle manufacturers during manufacture. The most energy intensive area of a car plant is the paint shop.
However, vehicle manufacturers do not report CO2 emissions from transportation or from suppliers. Suppliers contribute around 75% of the overall value-added of the car, so reported emissions of between one to two tonnes per vehicle during manufacture could rise three or four times when supplier emissions are taken into account. Emissions from transportation of materials and components in the supply chain, and the distribution of vehicles to their point of sale, would raise the figure further. In its response to the Carbon Disclosure Project, Renault estimates that around six tonnes CO2 are emitted during manufacture.
Truck manufacturer, Volvo AB, has the most aggressive carbon reduction targets amongst vehicle manufacturers. It is aiming for CO2-free manufacturing at its three European plants, by deriving all its energy from renewable fuels – a combination of biofuel, wind and possibly bio-synthetic gas.
Volvo has a history of leadership on environmental issues but the first project at the Ghent plant, due to be completed later this year, is expected to be a financial, as well as an environmental success.
“What started out as an environmental project, with an estimated payback of five to ten years, has quickly become a profitable project, with a chance to make cost savings in the first year, because of hefty rises in oil and gas prices,” said Marc Seghers, infrastructure and environment manager at Volvo Europa Truck, and leader of the CO2-free project.
Wind is also being used by Ford at its Dagenham plant in the UK, and Nissan is planning to install a wind turbine in Sunderland.
GM is achieving CO2 reductions in the North America partly through the use of landfill gas. The EPA has a program to encourage the use of landfill gas (LFG) because it destroys methane, a potent greenhouse gas, over 21 times more potent than CO2, and offsets the use of fossil fuels. Companies are persuaded to use the fuel because it is cheaper than fossil fuel alternatives.
Ford, GM and BMW, amongst others, have participated in the LMOP. GM’s director of corporate responsibility and environment & energy, Terry Cullum, told just-auto that GM is the largest user of landfill methane in the US. GM estimates that annual cost savings at its plants burning landfill gas exceed $US500,000 per location.
In a statement GM said that its 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 optimise efficiencies across all aspects of the manufacturing process.
Sue Brown
