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Top 5 Car Companies That are Helping the Environment

Posted by Arkisaeo in Business, Climate & Change, climate change, Nature, Science & Technology, Sustainable living, sustainable living, Wildlife & Flora, 8 May 2010

Image Source: Stock.Xchng. By: Mordoc.

I am not exactly fond of cars or driving, but many people around the world are. These days, it’s become more common for a car company to push out lines of hybrid vehicles, electric vehicles, or some other form of “green” transportation. While this step is nice and all, it made me wonder: what else are all the car companies doing to help the environment?

If you were to consider everything that goes into putting a car on the road—from mining and drilling for resources to fuel and build the car, to building all the offices, plants, dealerships, parking lots, gas stations, mechanic shops, highways and everything else—that’s a lot of habitat destroyed and resources consumed for one industry; not to mention all the emissions people are worried about. Fortunately, there are a few companies out there going the extra green mile (so to speak) to help the environment. Here is the list:

5. Nissan
Most likely, you have heard of their Leaf vehicle, but this company has slowly been working at more environmental efforts. They have implemented a Green Program to tackle the issues of reducing CO2 emissions; minimizing emissions to preserve the air, earth and water; and the recycling of resources. A number of their dealerships are designated Green Shops, where staff are appointed to be in charge of environmental activities. These activities include educating the public, recycling and disposing of waste properly, and so forth. Nissan has environmental education and training programs available for their employees and they also have conducted joint research with the UN University Institute of Advanced Studies on ecosystems and the like. Oh, and if you are interested in one of their zero emissions vehicles, you can learn about them at one of their many exhibits or even test drive one. Plus, they also promote eco driving habits.

4. Honda
This company has an excellent list of green initiatives on their record. If you check out the history of the company, you’ll notice that their efforts include: recycling industrial water, initiating Green Factory projects, installing solar panels at plants, and establishing green purchasing guidelines. Developments at their facilities include electric vehicles, solar cell technology, home energy stations, and a lot more. You can find environmental reports on their site and also information on their CO2 reduction targets and the progress they are making towards reaching them. Honda also has quite a few awesome global environmental projects going on, such as their Save the Sumatran Rhino initiative in Malaysia, Sea Turtle Preservation in Mexico, and Tree planting programs in Canada.

Image Source: Screen capture from PhotoShelter.

3. GM (General Motors)
Although this company has gone through some rough times, their environmental progress  certainly has not been hindered. Did you know they became the first major US automaker to manufacture electric motors? They make use of solar, hydro and landfill gas resources; have reduced overall global energy and water usage by more than 22% between 2005 and 2008, and they’ve also reduced CO2 emissions by 21% during that time, too. GM can also boast about having 55 facilities around the world that are completely landfill-free, which means that no waste is sent to a landfill—it is either recycled or reused to create energy. They are hoping to make half of all their global manufacturing plants completely landfill-free by the end of 2010. On top of all that, GM also takes part in a number of education initiatives, such as the Global Rivers Environmental Education Network (GREEN), which brings together GM employees, local environmental groups, community leaders, educators and young people to protect local water resources. They also sponsor the EcoCAR competition—an international vehicle engineering competition for college students that challenges them to design and build a vehicle with the goal of minimizing the environmental impact of personal transportation. Oh, and I almost forgot to mention their other initiatives, including involvement with the USCAP (United States Climate Action Partnership) and the EPA’s Climate Leader Partnership. They also work with a number of organizations, such as the World Environment Center (WEC), of which they serve on the board of directors and work to advance sustainable development; and also the Wildlife Habitat Council, through which they’ve helped designate over 870 acres in North America as habitat restoration projects and enhancement to provide food, water and homes for wildlife. GM has also earned WHC certification for 13 of their facilities in the US and Canada.

2. Ford
The Ford Motor Company was launched in 1903. Considering that it’s been in existence for over 100 years, I would certainly hope they’d have a good number of environmental practices in effect by now and fortunately, they do! Apart from the typical reports you can expect, such as those on Air and Climate, one of the more recent efforts of Ford is the start of their Greener Miles program. This is a TerraPass Program that allows drivers to calculate the amount of CO2 their vehicle emits when they drive. Drivers have the option of purchasing a TerraPass, which funds renewable energy projects to reduce the CO2 their vehicle emits by the same amount. Ford has also made great efforts with water conservation. Between 2000 and 2006, global manufacturing operations reduced water consumption by 25% (roughly 6.8 billion gallons). US plants are on course to reduce an additional 10% year after year; and this includes municipal, ground and surface water. Another environmental practice of the Ford Motor Company that is definitely worth noting is their involvement in the Wildlife at Work program. This program is a joint effort with the Wildlife Habitat Council to encourage Ford employees to participate in a wildlife management team at their work site. Teams establish, develop and manage a wildlife program and work towards WHC certification. So far, at least 17 global facilities have received their certification and areas include wetlands, woodland, forest, prairie, and meadow. The facilities have nature trails, bird and bat houses, planted wildflower gardens, and even established wildlife habitats! Workers involved in the program also create community education programs to encourage a better understanding of the importance of corporate wildlife sanctuaries. Oh, and yes, there is still more. Aside from the Wildlife at Work program, Ford has also developed a Save the Mustangs program. No, this is not referring to the car. This is referring to the wild horses that roam the US. The program was developed in collaboration with the US Interior Department’s Bureau of Land Management and also Take Pride in America, to raise public awareness on the plight the wild horses face. They are also working to fund their adoption by non-profit sanctuaries. Thus far, the program earned over $215,000 in donations, which are used to find homes for the horses. Ford is also dedicated to helping Zoo Atlanta and take part in a number of other environmental efforts, as well.

Image Source: Screen capture from Flickr.

1. Toyota
I’m sure this is no surprise to a lot of you, considering this company even went as far as creating their own special flower species to offset CO2 emissions. Toyota has several ongoing “environmental improvement” efforts. These include: Afforestation—which involves the planting of many eucalyptus trees in western and southern Australia to alleviate pulp shortage and help absorb CO2 emissions; Greenification—which is an effort to green buildings in urban areas and develop trees that can improve the environment; Floriculture—simply the growing and selling of many potted flowers; and Livestock Biomass—which uses their environmentally friendly system, resQ45, to compost livestock waste in a better, faster way. You’ll also find that Toyota is involved with a number of environmental projects around the globe. Some of these projects include the restoration and preservation of the Atlantic Forest in Brazil, preventing desertification in China, and working on conservation projects throughout the US; plus a lot more. As for bettering their own situation, many of their plants use renewable energy. They also use a number of methods to increase their employees’ environmental awareness, which ranges from clean up activities and plant festivals to the use of an eco point system. Toyota is also working on restoring ecosystems around their facilities by adding (or replanting) native plants. Community involvement is also a big deal for them, which can be seen through their eco tours, food planting efforts, and more. Aside from all of that, you can find out information and training on Eco-Driving, read their environmental reports, or simply check out the rest of their vast list of ongoing environmental projects and programs.

That’s the list for this week and if you’re wondering why some companies didn’t make the list, it was either because they had no environmental initiative or very little effort in progress. Plus, this was mainly focused on the main companies, rather than their divisions or whatnot. Now, if a company could create a vehicle that has zero environmental impact, I may actually consider driving—though I doubt that will happen anytime soon.

By Heidi Marshall

Tags: cars, environment, environmental efforts, Ford, General Motors, GM, Green, helping the environment, honda, list, Nissan, sustainability, top 5, Toyota, Transportation, vehicles