Ford collaborates with suppliers to further green manufacturing
Ford Motor Company is going further to shrink its environmental footprint by sharing even more sustainability practices with its suppliers around the globe.
The Partnership for A Cleaner Environment (PACE) is part of Ford’s commitment to creating a better world. While many sustainability practices already have been implemented at the company’s manufacturing sites, Ford has expanded the program now to include tools that help suppliers reduce carbon-dioxide emissions and waste, as well as help make water and energy consumption more efficient.
Last year, a second select group of suppliers was invited to join the voluntary program, bringing the number of participating companies to more than 40 in two years. PACE now has the potential to impact nearly 1,100 supplier sites in more than 40 countries.
With programs like PACE showing Ford’s commitment to environmental sustainability and corporate citizenship, Ethisphere Institute has named the automaker to its list of the World’s Most Ethical Companies for the eighth year in a row.
“As a company, it’s important that we make quality products and minimize the impact on the environment by doing things the right way,” said Mary Wroten, senior manager of Ford Supply Chain Sustainability.
“Having suppliers that want to share that responsibility shows we can work together to reduce our collective environmental footprint, while still continuing to deliver great products.”
As part of PACE, Ford offers best practices and monitoring tools to help its suppliers track and achieve their own sustainability goals. In return, the suppliers report their environmental progress and share their own best practices. Already, participating suppliers are on track to save an estimated 550 million gallons of water over the next five years — enough to fill 837 Olympic swimming pools — according to data collected in 2016.
However, the fight for sustainability is not just about water. Thanks to the current suppliers participating in PACE, carbon emissions could be reduced by nearly 500,000 metric tons worldwide during the next five years. That is equivalent to eliminating the carbon emissions of over 50,000 homes a year.
Ford is providing suppliers with a PACE toolkit, complete with more than 350 leading practices across four categories: energy, water, air emissions and waste.