Energy Efficiency, GHG Emissions, Industrial  -  March 14, 2017

Ford touts energy efficiency efforts in manufacturing

Ford Motor Co. on March 13 highlighted its efforts to reduce its environmental impact, pointing to its Partnership for A Cleaner Environment program, through which it shares sustainability initiatives with its suppliers worldwide.

The PACE program, which has spread to more than 40 suppliers in 40 countries, initially focused on water and energy conservation, the company said, but that focus has expanded to offer practices for reducing waste, as well as CO2 and other air emissions. Carbon emissions could be reduced by nearly 500,000 metric tons in the next five years, Ford said in a news release.

“As a company, it’s important that we make quality products and minimize the impact on the environment by doing things the right way,” Ford’s senior manager of supply chain sustainability, Mary Wroten, said. “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.”

Through the PACE program, which has the potential to impact roughly 1,100 supplier sites, participating suppliers are on track to save roughly 550 million gallons of water over the next five years, the company said, citing data collected in 2016.

Ford’s sustainability guidelines include more than 350 practices across four categories – energy, water, air emissions and waste, according to the news release. Among those practices are tools for optimizing cooling tower operation, reducing compressed air usage in manufacturing and eliminating single-pass cooling systems, the company said. Smaller-scale practices include simple solutions such as using LED bulbs instead of incandescent.

The automaker has also adopted a practice called Energy Treasure Hunts, which allows suppliers to explore and implement their own conservation measures and to share those initiatives with their own supply chain, as well as with Ford.

“We are serious about protecting lives and preserving the planet, and sharing best practices with Ford helps further that mission to sustain the environment globally,” said Jim Laney, senior manager of safety, health and environment in North America for DENSO, a Ford supplier that has been participating in the PACE program since its inception in 2014.

Share this valuable information with your colleagues using the buttons below: