INNOVATION & TECHNOLOGY -
General Motors (GM) achieved a record number of landfill-free facilitiesin 2016, exceeding its commitment four years early. The company now operates 152 global facilities that recycle, reuse or convert to energy all waste from daily operations, including 100 manufacturing sites and 52 non-manufacturing sites.
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Waste reduction improves efficiency and reduces costs
Using recycled materials drive innovations in product development
COLLABORATION & CO-CREATION -
At the recent C40 Mayors Summit in Mexico City, the City – along with Paris, Madrid and Athens - pledged to remove all diesel vehicles by 2025, as part of an effort by mayors to improve the quality of air for citizens. The pledge also includes a plan to incentivize alternative vehicles and promote walking and cycling infrastructure, helping to deliver on the ambition of the Paris Agreement.
CONSUMER BEHAVIOR CHANGE -
Alcohol and spirits giant Diageo has unveiled “Decisions,” a first-of-its-kind virtual reality (VR) experience that puts consumers of legal drinking age in the middle of a fatal drunk driving crash. This launch is Diego’s latest effort to educate and meaningfully impact consumers about the importance of responsible decision-making when drinking.
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Pilot program benefits about 100 Michigan-based community organizations, with a focus on Detroit.
Detroit’s Cody High School among first to participate with furniture and three-room makeover.
INNOVATION & TECHNOLOGY -
With car sharing becoming an increasingly popular solution for cities and millennials, automakers are finding new ways to standout in a crowded market.
Last week, David Plouffe, chief strategic adviser of Uber Technologies Inc., announced intentions to create a new market and assist smart cities with developing better transportation systems.
While at a technology forum in Taipei, Plouffe explained that a lot of Uber clients aren’t taxi users, and that the company gives opportunities for drivers to create an extra income for themselves, outside of their main careers.
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Toyota Motor Corporation will begin to sell fuel cell buses (FC buses) under the Toyota brand from early 2017. Having already undergone repeated field tests for practical use, the Bureau of Transportation of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government plans to utilize two of these FC buses (model name: Toyota FC Bus) as fixed-route buses.
Toyota plans to introduce over 100 FC buses mainly in the Tokyo area, ahead of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games. In view of this, the FC buses will be sold for the first time in Japan in early 2017, so as to help increase the level of understanding by the general public of the utilization of FC buses as a form of public transportation.
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DETROIT — The installation of 186,000 LED bulbs and fixtures is one of many steps helping General Motors save $73 million in energy costs in 2016. Global efforts to increase energy efficiency play a significant part in GM’s goal of meeting the electricity needs of its worldwide operations with 100 percent renewable energy by 2050.
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General Motors China engaged eight of its parts suppliers in a yearlong “Green Supply Chain” initiative designed to reduce energy consumption. The suppliers implemented 64 projects that resulted in emissions and facility noise reductions, as well as optimized lighting and energy management system improvements.
Altogether, these suppliers realized savings of more than 9.3 million yuan ($1.3 million), and reduced carbon dioxide by more than 5,500 metric tons. This is the equivalent to the carbon sequestered by 142,000 trees grown in the U.S. for 10 years.
GM China supported the suppliers through training programs, energy audits and conservation projects.
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US 10/11/16
Atlanta, GA
Updated Engine Technology Extends Range and Improves Performance and Fuel Economy
CIRCULAR ECONOMY -
Approximately 12 to 15 million vehicles are scrapped each year in the United States. The average lifespan of a vehicle is estimated to be about 11.5 years, and increasingly those vehicles are comprised of more and more plastics. Recovery of plastic components before shredding is largely driven by the resale market, but some recovery for mechanical recycling is also occurring.
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BASF and Hyundai Motor have partnered once again to present an impressive showcase of emotion and technical substance: The concept car RN30 was created to offer pure driving pleasure on the race track for everybody and features the latest in innovative automotive solutions – driven by BASF. It will debut September 29 at Paris Motor Show 2016 and be presented at K Fair in Dusseldorf from October 19-26.
The RN30 combines key solutions from the chemical industry with purposeful aerodynamic design and specialized high-performance technologies. BASF contributes significantly to the concept with lightweight plastics, endless possibilities in design as well as durable and eco-friendly materials.
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Hydrogen fuel cell cars could help solve the global warming crisis, but nobody wants to buy them. Yoshikazu Tanaka, chief engineer of the Toyota Mirai, Toyota’s hydrogen fuel cell car, calls it a “chicken or the egg” problem: no one wants to purchase hydrogen cars because there are no hydrogen fuel stations, and nobody wants to build hydrogen fuel stations because there are no hydrogen cars.
But Toyota thinks it may have found a solution. For unlimited clean energy, it’s turning to one of the dirtiest places there is: the toilet.
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Henry Ford was committed to using natural and recycled material in his manufacturing and the company that bears his name continues to follow his business practices. As part of its 'Further with Ford' presentation, Ford elaborated on its efforts to use everything from ‘Blue jeans to pop bottles’ to reduce waste.
The F-150 uses a number of different recycled materials:
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DETROIT – General Motors plans to generate or source all electrical power for its 350 operations in 59 countries with 100 percent renewable energy — such as wind, sun and landfill gas — by 2050.
“Establishing a 100 percent renewable energy goal helps us better serve society by reducing environmental impact,” said GM Chairman and CEO Mary Barra. “This pursuit of renewable energy benefits our customers and communities through cleaner air while strengthening our business through lower and more stable energy costs.”
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DETROIT – General Motors was again ranked on the Dow Jones Sustainability Index for corporate sustainability leadership in the automotive industry. This is the second year GM has been selected as an index component and the company remains the only automaker on the North American index.
The Dow Jones Sustainability Index is the leading global benchmark for corporate sustainability. DJSI tracks leading sustainability-driven companies based on investment firm RobecoSAM’s analysis of financially relevant environmental, social and governance factors.
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General Motors created its first Student Sustainability Advisory Council this year to begin a new dialogue on sustainability. Composed of five graduate students from MIT, Penn State, Georgia Tech, University of Michigan and Stanford, the council provides fresh perspectives on sustainability at GM.
The company convenes formal stakeholder dialogues through Ceres and informally through various other sustainability networks. This initiative, however, offers students the opportunity to take a step inside the company and lend their unique insights into our sustainability strategy and priorities. The students come from diverse backgrounds, but they all share an interest in the subject.
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General Motors’ commitment to sustainability is shared by its facilities around the world. To celebrate this collective mission to protect the earth and serve communities, GM rallied employees to take action to support World Environment Day, a global movement organized by the United Nations. Sixty-two GM manufacturing and non-manufacturing facilities organized environmental outreach activities.
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A pair of Department of Energy grants awarded to UPS (NYSE: UPS) will enable the company and a world-class team of engineers to conduct cutting-edge research aimed at reducing emissions and revolutionizing the charging process for electric trucks.
The grants, announced today, are part of the Department of Energy’s efforts to spur innovation and promote more efficient cars and trucks.
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DETROIT – General Motors is adding 2 million water bottles from Flint, Michigan residents into its Do Your Part water bottle recycling initiative. The company partnered with Schupan Recycling to collect the bottles. The plastic is washed, flaked and turned into fleece to make three products: Chevrolet Equinox V-6 engine covers, insulation for The Empowerment Plan coats for the homeless, and air filters for 10 GM plants.