Ford
CEF Lead Executives
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BOB HOLYCROSSList Item 1
VP, Chief Sustainability, Environment & Safety Officer
Bob Holycross is the Global Director, Sustainability and Vehicle Environmental Matters for Ford Motor Company, a position he has held since June 2018. Holycross is responsible for developing global sustainable business plans and policies, interfacing with global regulatory bodies, reporting externally on the company’s environmental and social performance and leading the company’s engagement and partnerships with non- governmental organizations (NGOs) and other key stakeholders. Previously, Holycross was Vice President, Sustainability, Environment & Safety Engineering, Ford of Europe, Middle East & Africa where he was responsible for ensuring compliance with environmental and safety regulations, as well as the development and implementation of the company’s environment and safety strategy, policy and performance in these regions.
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MARY WROTENList Item 2
Director of Global Sustainability & ESG
Mary is responsible for Ford's global sustainability & ESG program and identifies emerging trends, develop company-specific objectives/strategies, and works with functional organizations to drive them into regional/global operations. She is actively engaged in product plans, strategies and policies related to Climate Change, Carbon Neutrality, Circular Ecomy, Human Rights and Responsible EV Supply Chain. She leads the publications of Ford Motor Company’s Integrated Sustainability and Financial Report & corresponding ESG Reports. She is engaged in Sustainable Financing, including linking ESG metrics to Ford’s $15.5B revolving credit lines, launching Ford’s first sustainable financing framework and launching Ford’s $4B+ green bonds. Mary has held a variety of engineering, safety, strategy, and policy positions during her 26-year tenure with Ford. She received a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering, with a Mir in Biomedical Engineering, from Michigan State University and a Master of Science in Automotive Systems Engineering from the University of Michigan.
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CYNTHIA WILLIAMS
Global Director, Sustainability, Homologation & Compliance
As Ford’s Global Director of Sustainability, Homologation & Compliance, Cynthia Williams is responsible for sustainable business plans and policies, environmental negotiations with regulatory bodies globally, reporting on the company’s environmental and social performance, and engaging with non-governmental organizations. Cynthia’s prior role was Assistant Director, Global Automotive Safety Office, in which she was responsible for leading the safety governance process, making recommendations on potential safety and compliance concerns, and developing and coordinating responses to all government-agency investigations. Previously, Cynthia served as Sustainability, Environment and Safety Director, Asia Pacific. Cynthia serves on the Michigan governor’s Council on Climate Solutions and various external boards.
Sustainability Goals
Sustainability Goals
Aspirational Goals
- Drive human progress by providing mobility and accessibility for all
- Become the most inclusive and diverse enterprise globally
- Reach zero air emissions from our manufacturing plants globally
- Responsibly source all raw materials used in all vehicles globally
- Use only recycled and renewable plastics in all vehicles globally
- Use only freshwater for human consumption only
2025-2035 Sustainability Goals
- Have 100% of its passenger vehicle range in Europe be “zero-emissions capable, all-electric or plug-in hybrid” by mid-2026 and completely all-electric by 2030
- Reach carbon neutrality across its European facilities, logistics, and suppliers, and zero emissions for all vehicle sales in Europe, by 2035
- In the US, will produce over 2 million EVs annually by 2026 and have EV's account for 50% of fits total volume by 2030
- Invest $7 billion in autonomous vehicles in 2025 and at least $50 billion in electric vehicles through 2026 (including a $5 billion investment in 2022)
- Eliminate single-use plastics from our operations by 2030
- Use 100% renewable energy for all manufacturing plants globally
Latest Sustainability Report
Highlights
- Reached 42.6% renewable electricity in 2022, with all purchased electricity for manufacturing in Europe renewable;
- 84 sites are zero waste to landfill (ZWTL) globally, with 74% of manufacturing facilities now true ZWTL;
- 91% of waste generated in 2022 was recycled or reused;
- Achieved a 40% reduction in company’s absolute manufacturing GHG footprint from 2017 through improved energy efficiency and conservation at its facilities and in its manufacturing processes;
- Became the first automaker to use 100% recycled ocean plastics to produce automotive parts;
- Achieved a 21.7% reduction in absolute freshwater use since 2019;
- Issued a second green bond in August 2022 of $1.75 billion, bringing total to $4.25 billion in green bonds issued since 2021;
- Received GHG emissions data from 313 out of 465 parent production suppliers, 19% more than 2021;
- Launched new M2030 climate program, helping company’s suppliers establish science-based targets, and measure, manage and reduce climate emissions, water usage, and waste. Invited 3,000 global Tier 1 suppliers to participate in Phase 1;
- Joined First Movers Coalition, and as a founding member of the coalition’s new aluminum sector, Ford committed that at least 10% of primary aluminum and steel purchases will have near-zero carbon emissions by 2030;
- In 2022, Ford purchased goods and services worth $10.78 billion from minority-owned suppliers, women-owned businesses, veteran-owned companies, and small businesses.
Recent News
2023
BMW GROUP / FORD MOTOR COMPANY / AMERICAN HONDA — Entered into an agreement to create ChargeScape, LLC, a new, equally-owned, company that will create a platform to be used by both utilities and interested electric vehicle (EV) customers in the U.S. and Canada. ChargeScape will enable the smart use of plugged-in EV batteries by utilities, helping to both to decarbonize the grid and increase its resiliency. (Sept 2023)
Nature-based Solutions to Prevent Pollution and Support Biodiversity (Wildlife Habitat Council (WHC)) — This white paper explores how the automotive industry can implement nature-based solutions (NbS) to prevent pollution, with case studies illustrating how auto manufacturers and suppliers around the world are utilizing NbS to reduce pollution and offer co-benefits for biodiversity and communities. Case studies explore several ecosystems, including wetlands, forests, grasslands, as well as stormwater management and green architecture. Case studies feature CEF members Ford Motor Company, General Motors, and WM. (Aug 2023)
The California Air Resources Board, the Truck and Engine Manufacturers Association, and the U.S.’s leading truck manufacturers, formed a Clean Truck Partnership to advance the development of zero-emission commercial trucks. Ten companies, including CEF members Ford Motor Company and General Motors Company, committed to meet California’s vehicle standards requiring the sale and adoption of zero-emissions technology in the state, regardless of any attempts by other entities to challenge California’s authority. CARB agreed to align with the US EPA’s 2027 regulations for nitrogen oxide emissions and modify its 2024 NOx emission regulations to allow manufacturer offsets. CARB will also provide no less than four years lead time and three years of regulatory stability before imposing new requirements. (July 2023)
Opened its first carbon neutral vehicle assembly plant globally. This electric vehicle (EV) facility in Cologne, Germany will produce a new generation of EV passenger vehicles and has an annual production capacity of 250,000. To be carbon neutral, the plant will reduce energy through the installation of new processes, machinery, and technologies, and use 100% renewable energy and biomethane. (June 2023)
FORD / TESLA — Reached an agreement to provide Ford electric vehicle (EV) customers access to the 12,000+ Tesla Superchargers across the U.S. and Canada, more than doubling the number of fast-chargers available to Ford EV customers, starting in spring of 2024. (May 2023)
Announced a new agreement with specialty chemicals company Albemarle to purchase more than 100,000 metric tons of battery-grade lithium hydroxide for approximately 3 million Ford EV batteries from 2026-2030. The companies will also explore collaborations to develop a closed-loop solution for lithium-ion battery recycling. (May 2023)
Announced it would invest $3.5 billion to build a new plant in Michigan to produce lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries. These batteries, using fewer high-demand, high-cost materials, will make EVs more accessible and affordable. The plant will add approximately 35 GWh of LFP battery capacity per year (enough for 400,000 vehicles) and will start producing batteries in 2026. (Feb 2023)
Virtual Power Plant Partnership (VP3) — This RMI initiative is working to catalyze industry and transform policy to support scaling virtual power plants (VPPs) in ways that help advance affordable, reliable electric sector decarbonization by overcoming barriers to VPP market growth. VPPs are grid-integrated aggregations of many distributed energy resources, such as EVs, solar PV arrays, battery energy storage systems, and smart thermostats, and can help support cost-effective energy production, emissions reductions, and a more resilient energy grid. VP3 will work to research and communicate VPP benefits, develop industry-wide best practices, standards, and roadmaps, and inform and shape policy development. VP3 founding members include CEF members: Ford, General Motors, and Google Nest (Google). (Jan 2023)
2022
DHL and Ford subsidiary, Ford Pro, signed an MOU to accelerate the deployment of electric vans for logistics operations worldwide. Ford Pro will equip DHL with more than 2,000 electric delivery vans by the end of 2023 as well as providing Ford Pro’s software and charging solutions to reduce costs and optimize efficiency. (Dec 2022)
Announced a strategic partnership with Manufacture 2030 (M2030), an organization that works with suppliers to measure, manage and reduce carbon emissions. As a first phase, Ford is offering the voluntary M2030 platform to its more than 5,000 Tier 1 global suppliers, to help identify actions they can take to measure, manage, and reduce emissions, and reduce costs as they build carbon neutrality plans. (Dec 2022)
Will produce all vehicles manufactured in Michigan with renewable electricity by 2025, thanks to a new 650-megawatt solar energy agreement with Michigan utility DTE Energy. The agreement, the largest renewable energy purchase from a utility ever made in the U.S., will reduce CO2 emissions by up to 600,000 tons and increase the state’s solar capacity by nearly 70%. (Aug 2022)
Announced an investment of $3.7 billion into its manufacturing operations in the US Midwest. Much of the investment will support Ford's “Model e” business—dedicated to electrification and connectivity and committed to producing 2 million EVs per year globally by the end of 2026. Specifically (June 2022):
- The Dearborn, Michigan plant will increase production of the new F150 Lightning electric pickup to 150,000 per year.
- The Kansas City, Missouri plant will start producing the new E-Transit, an all-electric version of the best-selling van in the U.S.
- The Avon Lake, Ohio plant will prepare to produce a new commercial EV (TBA) by mid-decade.
First Movers Coalition — The flagship public-private partnership announced a major expansion to more than 50 corporate members—including CEF members Alphabet, Microsoft, Ecolab, Ford, and Schneider Electric—worth about $8.5 trillion and a total of nine governments comprising over 40% of the global economy. The coalition, which aims to create market demand for early-stage technology that cuts emissions from hard-to-abate industry sectors, also launched new sector initiatives in aluminum and carbon dioxide removal (CDR). In the Aluminum sector, Ball Corporation, Ford, Novelis, Trafigura, and Volvo Group committed to have near-zero emissions from 10% of their primary aluminum purchases by 2030. New CDR sector 2030 commitments include (May 2022):
- Alphabet, Microsoft, and Salesforce collectively committed $500 million to CDR.
- Boston Consulting Group (BCG) pledged to remove 100,000 metric tons of carbon.
- AES, Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, and Swiss Re each committed to 50,000 metric tons of carbon removal, equivalent to a $25 million investment from each company.
- Members must demonstrate that the carbon can be stored for more than 1,000 years.
- Breakthrough Catalyst, Carbon Direct, Frontier, and South Pole joined the coalition as implementation partners for the CDR initiative.
Coalition for American Battery Independence (CABI) — A group of automobile manufacturers, EV battery companies, and lithium producers seeking stronger federal support to build a large US battery supply chain that can meet surging demand and compete globally. At present, China produces 77% of lithium-ion batteries, while the U.S. has just 7% of the industry. CABI, which is run via the lobbying firm Boundary Stone Partners and includes CEF members Ford and General Motors, wants Congress to pass targeted tax incentives to advance a viable domestic battery manufacturing ecosystem. (May 2022)
BLACKROCK / FORD / GOLDMAN SACHS / JPMORGAN CHASE / MORGAN STANLEY — Will disclose the race and gender of individual directors in deals reached with New York City (NYC) pension officials. The move is intended to demonstrate the companies’ alignment of hiring practices with their stated commitments on diversity and inclusion. Taking another view, NextEra Energy is urging its shareholders to vote against a resolution filed by the NYC pension funds for similar disclosures, noting by proxy statement that "The imposition of a prescriptive matrix by individual director can promote a check-the-box approach to refreshment, thus increasing the risk of bypassing a well-qualified candidate." The company already publishes details about the skills of individual directors, and infographics showing overall diversity statistics about the board. (May 2022)
Pledged to reach carbon neutrality across its European facilities, logistics, and suppliers, and zero emissions for all vehicle sales in Europe, by 2035. The company plans to introduce seven new EVs in Europe by 2024. Ford, SK On, and Koç Holding also signed a nonbinding memorandum of understanding for a new joint venture “to create one of the largest EV battery facilities in the European wider region.” (March 2022)
Plans to invest $50 billion in EVs by 2026 (up from previous plans to invest $30 billion by 2025), including a $5 billion investment this year. The company announced targets to produce over 2 million EVs annually by 2026 and have EVs account for 50% of its total volume by 2030. Ford also announced it is splitting its auto business into “two distinct, but strategically interdependent” units: “Ford Blue” for ICE vehicles and “Ford Model e” for new EVs. (March 2022)
FORD / REDWOOD MATERIALS / VOLVO — Battery materials company Redwood Materials is partnering with CEF member Ford and Volvo to pilot a program to recycle end-of-life batteries from any EVs and hybrids in California. (Feb 2022)
27 companies that collectively generate over $1.2 trillion in annual revenue and have 1.4 million employees sent an open letter calling bold climate action a “business imperative” and urging House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to enact the Build Back Better Act’s climate and clean energy provisions. They said the provisions would “help spur private sector investment at the scale needed” to help them meet their long-term climate goals and would greatly affect opportunities for exporting low-carbon technologies, products, and expertise. The letter was organized by the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions (C2ES), and signatories include CEF members Duke Energy, Ford, GE, HP Inc., Schneider Electric, and Trane Technologies. (Feb 2022)
Israeli tech company Electreon Wireless will pilot its road-electrification infrastructure in Detroit's Michigan Central district in 2023, creating the first stretch of road in the U.S. that can wirelessly charge EVs while they’re in motion. The state of Michigan is contributing $1.9 million to the project, with additional support from DTE Energy and CEF member Ford. Michigan Central’s founding partners include CEF members Ford and Google. (Feb 2022)
GOOGLE — Is joining Ford as a founding member of Michigan Central, a 30-acre, mobility-focused innovation district in Detroit, created to accelerate the development of electric and autonomous vehicles, and help build a skilled workforce. The companies will work with startups and other companies to solve mobility challenges, and Google will focus on training and educating Detroiters for jobs needed for the future transportation system. Ford will also start accepting the Google certificate as a qualification for relevant jobs. (Feb 2022)
Plans to nearly double the production capacity of its all-electric F-150 Lightning™ pickup, to 150,000 vehicles per year. (Jan 2022)
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2021
Launched “Ford Pro Charging,” a new project to provide electrified commercial fleets with integrated end-to-end charging solutions. Adaptable to all makes and sizes, the project offers management software, hardware, and services to help streamline charging between depots, employee homes, and public charging stations. (Dec 2021)
Became the first automaker to use 100% recycled ocean plastics for car parts. Ford Bronco™ Sport models will feature wiring harness clips made from plastic fishing nets collected in the Indian Ocean and Arabian Sea. The clips save 10% on cost and require less energy to produce. (Dec 2021)
CDP “A LIST” — 272 out of nearly 12,000 companies scored by CDP made CDP’s 2021 “A List,” which includes a climate change A List (200 companies), a water security A List (118 companies), and a forests A List (24 companies). The lists recognize companies for their “environmental leadership,” all of which are reducing their value chain emissions and have verified Scope 1 and 2 emissions, SBTi-approved emission-reduction targets, evidence of targets that cover their Scope 3 emissions, “robust governance and oversight of climate issues,” and “rigorous risk management processes.” A record 14 companies received Triple A scores for their work across all three themes, including: Danone, Firmenich, Fuji Oil Holdings, CEF member HP, International Flavors & Fragrances, KAO Corporation, Klabin, Lenzing, L’Oréal, Metsä Board Corporation, Mondi, Philip Morris International, Syrmise, and CEF member Unilever. Additional CEF members on the A Lists include: Ecolab (water security), Ford (climate change, water security), General Motors (water security), HPE (water security), Microsoft (climate change, water security), PepsiCo (forests), Samsung (water security), Schneider Electric (climate change), Visa (climate change). (Dec 2021)
The Department of Energy (DOE) launched a
Better Climate Challenge
for companies, municipalities, states, and other organizations to set ambitious, near-term emission-reduction goals.
Signatories will commit to reducing portfolio-wide Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions by at least 50% within 10 years,
and the DOE will provide technical assistance and learning opportunities. CEF members
3M, Ford, General Motors, and
Schneider Electric are among the 32 founding signatories. (Nov 2021)
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35+ COMPANIES’ ZERO-EMISSIONS VEHICLE COMMITMENTS — Over 35 companies signed a new, “legally non-binding” declaration to accelerate the transition to zero-emissions vehicles, which includes various signatory commitments (Nov 2021):
- All signatories agreed to support world leaders’ commitment to have 100% of car and van sales be zero-emissions by 2035 in "leading markets" and globally by 2040
- Auto manufacturers—including CEF members Ford and General Motors—committed to reaching 100% zero-emission new car and van sales in “leading markets” by 2035
- Fleet owners and operators—including CEF members Siemens and Unilever—committed to doing the same by 2030
- Financial institutions and investors with significant shareholdings in automotive manufacturers committed to supporting the transition to achieve 100% new car and van sales being zero-emission in leading markets by 2035
The Department of Energy (DOE) released a
progress update on its
Better Plants program,
which aims to decarbonize the industrial sector. Over 250
manufacturers and water utilities
have participated in the program and
cumulatively saved $9.3 billion in energy costs and over 1.9 quadrillion BTUs of energy—more energy than Wisconsin uses annually. Program partners include CEF members
3M, Dow, Ford, General Electric, General Motors, International Paper, Johnson & Johnson, Lockheed Martin, PepsiCo, Procter & Gamble,
and Schneider Electric.
(Oct 2021)
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A group of for-profit and nonprofit organizations—including
S&P Global
and the
Ford Foundation—are
forming an independent tech platform and public-benefit corporation called
Novata to enable consistent ESG reporting across private markets. Novata includes an
ESG reporting
framework
built around 10 metrics, a
database for private companies to report against the framework, and
data-driven benchmarking. Beta customers can access the platform by year-end, with broader access planned for early 2022. (Oct 2021)
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Is
forming a new joint venture with
SK Innovation,
BlueOvalSK,
and
investing $11.4 billion to scale EVs for its US customers—which it says is the largest ever US investment in EVs made by an auto manufacturer at one time. The investment will fund the development of
Blue Oval City, a
carbon-neutral, zero-waste-to-landfill campus in Tennessee, and
BlueOvalSK Battery Park,
twin battery plants in Kentucky. (Oct 2021)
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MORE 2 »
FORD / REDWOOD MATERIALS —
Ford and the battery materials company are
partnering to design a closed-loop EV battery supply chain in the U.S. to make EVs more affordable and sustainable.
(Sept 2021)
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32 companies that have prioritized their workers during the COVID-19 pandemic
(e.g., by establishing safety practices, disclosing demographic details to drive racial equity, worker benefits)
have outperformed companies on the Russell 1000 by 8.6%, according to a JUST Capital
ranking of companies “leading for their workers” by industry. CEF members
BlackRock, Chevron, Comcast, Dow, Ford, JPMorgan Chase & Co., Lockheed Martin, McKesson,
and Procter & Gamble are among the 32 companies featured. (Sept 2021)
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The
Suppliers Partnership for the Environment, an association of global automakers and auto suppliers including
Ford, General Motors, and
Waste Management, published a
new
guidance document to help companies in the automotive value chain establish a framework for carbon reporting. It breaks down 5 KPIs it supports for the industry regarding standard reporting cycles; carbon reduction plans; long-term target setting; consistent supplier education and expectations; and supplier recognition processes. (July 2021)
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Increased plans to spend over $30 billion on vehicle electrification, including battery development, by 2025 (up from $22B announced in February 2021)
and
expects 40% of its global sales to be EVs by 2030.
(May 2021)
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Unveiled its first fully electric truck—F-150 Lightning—modeled after its F-150, the top-selling vehicle in the United States. (May 2021)
Announced plans with SK Innovation to create a joint venture called BlueOvalSK that will annually produce approximately 60 GWh in traction battery cells and array modules, starting around 2025. By 2030, it expects annual energy demand for its vehicles to reach 140 GWh annually in North America and up to 240 GWh globally. (May 2021)
Announced “Ford Ion Park,” a new, $185 million global battery center of excellence to accelerate research and development of batteries and battery cell technology. (May 2021)
Hundreds of executives, nonprofits, and companies—including Amazon, Apple, Bank of America, BlackRock, Cisco, Dell Technologies, Facebook, Ford, General Motors, Google, JetBlue, Johnson & Johnson, Mastercard, and McKinsey & Co.—signed a public statement opposing “any discriminatory legislation.” The statement, titled “We Stand for Democracy,” was featured in advertisements in the New York Times and The Washington Post. (April 2021)
Announced two 2035 GHG reduction goals approved by the SBTi, including reducing Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions by 76% (2017 baseline) and cutting Scope 3 emissions from the use of the company’s products by 50% (2019 baseline). (April 2021)
Ford is collaborating with HP to create injection-molded vehicle parts from 3D printer waste, powders and parts. (March 2021)
Ford became the first U.S. automaker to join the Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance (IRMA), a global third-party verification and certification group working to advance responsible mining practices. (February 2021)
Ford committed to having 100% of its passenger vehicle range in Europe be “zero-emissions capable, all-electric or plug-in hybrid” by mid-2026 (2024 for commercial vehicles) and completely all-electric by 2030. Ford also announced plans to invest $1 billionto transform an existing European manufacturing center into a modernized electric vehicle production facility. (February 2021)
Ford announced it would invest $7 billion in autonomous vehicles and at least $22 billion in electric vehicles through 2025, nearly doubling its initial EV commitment. Separately, Ford announced a 6-year strategic partnership with Google to “accelerate the automaker’s digital transformation” and “reinvent the connected vehicle experience.” (February 2021)
2020
Ford Motor Company received the World Environment Center’s Gold Medal for International Corporate Achievement in Sustainable Development. The company was recognized for its “commitment to transforming its culture and innovating across the business, from the production line to the design studio; for their commitment to reduce the CO2 emissions from their facilities and their vehicles, in line with the climate targets outlined in the Paris Climate Accord; and for a global carbon reduction strategy focused on powering facilities with renewable energy.” (November 2020)
Ford Motor Company announced an ambition to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. To achieve this goal, the company will focus initially on three areas — vehicle use, the supply base, and its facilities — that account for approximately 95% of its CO2 emissions. (June 2020)
Ford Motor Company is collaborating with 3M and GE Healthcare to expand production of urgently needed medical equipment and supplies, including Powered Air-Purifying Respirators and ventilators. The company also plans to assemble more than 100,000 plastic face shields per week for medical professionals, factory workers, and other professionals on the frontlines of the pandemic. (March 2020)
Included on CDP's “A List” for demonstrating leadership on water security in 2019. (February 2020)
Included on CDP's “Climate Change A List,” which recognizes companies for demonstrating leadership on climate risk management in 2019. (January 2019)
2019
A group of companies — including Ford, General Motors, and IBM — are now funding the Climate Leadership Council’s efforts to put a price on carbon in the United States, according to Axios. The Climate Leadership Council’s latest proposal calls for a U.S. economy-wide carbon fee starting at $40 a ton and increasing every year at 5% with all proceeds returned to American consumers. (December 2019)
Ford Motor Company has partnered with McDonald’s to transform coffee bean waste into a durable material that can be used to reinforce certain vehicle parts, such as headlamp housing. The vehicle components produced with this material are expected to be about 20% lighter and require up to 25% less energy during the molding process. (December 2019)
A group of 13 CEOs from U.S. and Global Fortune 500 companies — including BASF, Dow, Ford Motor Company, and Unilever — have launched the CEO Climate Dialogue, an initiative aimed at working collaboratively with lawmakers to implement long-term climate legislation at the federal-level. The goal of the initiative is to “build bipartisan support for climate policies that will increase regulatory and business certainty, reduce climate risk, and spur investment and innovation needed to meet science-based emissions reduction targets.” (May 2019)