General Motors Corporate Responsibility Newsletter
July 2013
Chevy Rooted in California Forest Management Project
Chevrolet is collaborating with The Conservation Fund to reduce 190,000 metric tons of carbon over four years and conserve 13,913 acres of timberlands in Northern California known as the Gualala River forest. This project helps ensure the land will be sustainably harvested to restore and maintain a healthy balance of trees, water quality and local jobs.
RESOURCE PRESERVATION
GM and Students Plant Seeds of Sustainability at Tonawanda Engine
General Motors’ Tonawanda Engine facility in New York is now closer to its goal of establishing a wildlife habitat on its property thanks to the planting efforts of 100 students. Local elementary and high school students recently helped the facility transform a brownfield space into a green buffer that will soon provide home to pollinators and other creatures.
ENERGY EFFICIENCY
25 GM Plants Across U.S. Commit to Reduce Energy Costs
General Motors is participating in a U.S. Department of Energy program to reduce energy costs, per unit of production, at 25 of its U.S. facilities. The result is an anticipated 25-percent or greater combined reduction in energy use at the plants by 2018. The Better Buildings, Better Plants program is a national initiative in which the DOE works with industry partners to promote greater energy efficiency in the U.S. industrial sector.
The Business Case for Sustainability
In this post from the World Wildlife Fund blog, Mike Robinson, GM’s vice president of sustainability and global regulatory affairs, offers commentary on the NGO’s The 3% Solution report, which lays out ways companies can both reduce their carbon footprint and increase their profits.
GM Building in Milford Earns LEED Certification
A nearly 37,000-square-foot facility at General Motors’ Milford Proving Ground is now certified by the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program. The facility, known as the proving ground’s administration building, is GM’s first brownfield site to earn the designation.
GM Rosario Complex Meets International Energy Standard
General Motors’ Rosario Automotive Complex is the first GM plant in the Americas to obtain 50001 certification from the International Organization for Standardization. The ISO 50001 standard represents the latest international best practice in energy management.
GREENER VEHICLES
Cruze Clean Turbo Diesel Delivers Classic Muscle Car Torque
The all-new 2014 Chevrolet Cruze Clean Turbo Diesel uses a turbocharging feature called “overboost,” but still gets the best highway fuel economy of any non-hybrid passenger car in America.
GM Amps Up Workplace Solar Charging Stations
General Motors recently installed three new solar electric vehicle charging stations at its Technical Center in Warren, Michigan, where GM engineers continue to develop the next generation of greener vehicles and advanced technologies that improve fuel economy and reduce emissions.
GM, BMW Complete Testing on DC Fast Charge Station Use
Following several days of joint testing, General Motors and BMW AG engineers are confident that DC “Combo” Fast Charge stations from several suppliers will consistently allow an electric vehicle to take on an 80 percent charge in about 20 minutes.
SAFETY
2014 Buick Lineup Offers Active Safety Suite
Every 2014 Buick model – Verano, Regal, LaCrosse, Encore and Enclave – will be offered with a suite of available active safety systems that watch the front, side and rear of the vehicle to help prevent crashes. Buick will be the only brand in the industry to offer Forward Collision Alert, Lane Departure Warning, Rear Cross Traffic Alert, Side Blind Zone Warning, and a Rear Vision Camera on every vehicle.
2013 Encore Receives IIHS, NHTSA Safety Accolades
The 2013 Encore luxury small crossover brings a smaller footprint and high efficiency to the Buick showroom, but the brand’s newest model maintains the commitment to safety, joining all other current Buicks as an Insurance Institute for Highway Safety 2013 Top Safety Pick. The Encore with all-wheel drive also received a 5-star Overall Vehicle Score for safety from the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration.
DIVERSITY
Cadillac Celebrates Diversity at the 2013 American Black Film Festival
Approximately 5,000 actors, filmmakers and industry executives gathered in Miami to celebrate art, diversity and social responsibility at the 2013 American Black Film Festival. The four-day long conference, sponsored by Cadillac, not only showcased works created by a multitude of black artists, but offered workshops, panels and symposiums to generate conversation about diversity topics.
PHILANTHROPY
GM Employees Donate $28,500 to Help Tornado Victims in Oklahoma
General Motors employees around the country have so far raised approximately $28,500 to help people in tornado-ravaged Oklahoma. In some instances, plant collections by GM and the UAW have been supplemented with donations from GM retirees, contract workers, dealers and suppliers, who pitched in to provide assistance to tornado victims in the Oklahoma City region.
