Firms including Ford and BMW respond to data about how they are exacerbating the crisis
A man is reflected as he cleans the mirrors at a car show in Geneva, Switzerland.
Photograph: Miguel Villagran/Getty Images
Ford Motor Company
“Ford takes its responsibilities for the environment and communities around the globe very seriously. That was evident again recently, when Ford was one of only four automakers reaching agreement with California on higher gas-mileage standards to reduce emissions. We have said multiple times that Ford does not support a rollback of federal emission standards. Additionally, Ford supports CO2 reductions consistent with the Paris climate accord, as we’ve shared publicly.”
A spokesperson said the company endorsed the UN’s sustainable development goals, citing its heavy investment in vehicle electrification, “which we believe will facilitate long-term reductions in CO2 emissions”.
Q&A
What is the polluters project?
The Guardian has collaborated with leading scientists and NGOs to expose, with exclusive data, investigations and analysis, the fossil fuel companies that are perpetuating the climate crisis – some of which have accelerated their extraction of coal, oil and gas even as the devastating impact on the planet and humanity was becoming clear.
The investigation has involved more than 20 Guardian journalists working across the world for the past six months.
The project focuses on what the companies have extracted from the ground, and the subsequent emissions they are responsible for, since 1965. The analysis, undertaken by Richard Heede at the Climate Accountability Institute, calculates how much carbon is emitted throughout the supply chain, from extraction to use by consumers. Heede said: “The fact that consumers combust the fuels to carbon dioxide, water, heat and pollutants does not absolve the fossil fuel companies from responsibility for knowingly perpetuating the carbon era and accelerating the climate crisis toward the existential threat it has now become.”
One aim of the project is to move the focus of debate from individual responsibilities to power structures – so our reporters also examined the financial and lobbying structures that let fossil fuel firms keep growing, and discovered which elected politicians were voting for change.
Another aim of the project is to press governments and corporations to close the gap between ambitious long-term promises and lacklustre short-term action. The UN says the coming decade is crucial if the world is to avoid the most catastrophic consequences of global heating. Reining in our dependence on fossil fuels and dramatically accelerating the transition to renewable energy has never been more urgent.
The company cited the fact it was spending $11bn (£9bn) on electrified vehicles globally from 2017 through 2022 and has invested a further $500m to produce a new electric vehicle. It said in Europe it had announced plans for 17 electrified vehicles by 2023 that “will provide customer choice and deliver CO2 performance”.
Toyota Motor Corporation
“We are supportive of increasingly challenging targets to reduce vehicle greenhouse gas emissions while taking into account supportive or impeding factors such as technology capability, infrastructure development, consumer preference, fuel prices and other factors that can affect the take-up of ever cleaner technologies in the market …
“In regards to our membership in the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers in the United States, we believe it is important to take action as an industry as well as an individual manufacturer. Toyota continues to support year-over-year increases in standards but we believe adjustments are warranted to address changes in the assumptions used to establish those standards.
“We will keep pushing for a sustainable agreement that sets progressive improvements in fuel economy, promotes advanced and diverse technologies and aligns with market realities and customer choice.
“In Europe, thanks to our manufacturing presence in several EU countries, we are a member of the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) … At ACEA, Toyota has specifically advocated for technology neutrality. We don’t believe the setting of specific sales quotas for certain types of zero-emission vehicles is the best mechanism to achieve the desired CO2 reduction targets. Instead … we believe the massive electrification of fleets using a variety of technologies adapted to a variety of consumer needs will be more successful.”
Daimler
“Sustainability is one of the essential elements of Daimler’s corporate strategy and at the same time, it is critical to our business success. As a global company, we have a responsibility to play our part in managing the transformation of our industry to one that is increasingly focused on sustainability by keeping the balance on several, complex dimensions: evaluating economic, ecological and social aspects, for customers and investors as well as for employees, business partners and society as a whole …
“Regarding your question on matching the individual, worldwide CO2 regulations: it is our goal and intent to incorporate as many aspects as possible of Daimler’s goals and beliefs in the positions of associations both in the US and the EU. The conditionality principle which has been advocated for by the EU auto industry in the discussion on post-2020 CO2 targets in the EU can serve as an example for this.”
BMW
“The BMW Group welcomed the 2C goal of the Paris climate agreement and is committed to it. This was reinforced by CEO Oliver Zipse at the Frankfurt motor show in September. By 2020, we will have reduced the CO2 emissions of our European vehicle fleet by 50% in comparison with the 1995 base year. The BMW Group is currently working on new targets as part of a new sustainability strategy from 2020.
“Our aim is to find a sustainable approach that meets all three requirements of sustainability (ecological, social, economic) in a balanced and appropriate manner. The BMW Group ultimately bears responsibility for more than 130,000 employees and their families.
“The BMW Group has long been a champion of sustainability technology, encouraging its own industry and others to play their part in emissions reduction. We have been contributing ideas to decarbonise transport at multiple climate conferences worldwide since 2008 (since COP14) and through the company’s membership of various national and international associations. Within these associations, members naturally hold different positions on the climate debate. BMW plays its role in promoting electric mobility as a means to meeting the 2C goal of the Paris climate agreement. In our experience, constructive dialogue is the best way to bring about positive long-term changes.”
General Motors
“Our global commitment to improving fuel economy, reducing emissions and pursuing an all-electric zero-emissions future is unwavering, regardless of any modifications to existing emissions standards currently under review in the United States. In the US, we remain interested in working with all parties to advance American automotive technological leadership. Regardless of the standards, we are committed to a future of zero crashes, zero emissions, and zero congestion. The pathway to that vision includes continually improving fuel economy and our commitment to an all-electric future. This is why we’ve called for a US national zero-emissions vehicle programme.
“Our zero-emissions vision extends beyond products to our manufacturing operations, where we have committed to use 100% renewable energy by 2050.
“We set a new goal to reduce emissions by 31% by 2030 compared to a 2010 baseline, consistent with the level of decarbonisation required by science-based methodology. We have consistently reaffirmed these points with our global employees and other stakeholders, including policymakers, regulators and shareholders.”
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles
“FCA supports the policy choice in favour of ongoing fuel economy improvements in the fleet, but that policy needs to be based on market realities as they have evolved since 2012. In business and in government, we have to make decisions based on the best information available to us at the time, but we also must be nimble enough to adjust our plans when the facts on the ground change.”
