Photo: General Motors
Corporate social responsibility. Three words that taken together form one of the most important aspects a corporation has to take into account. Be it social or environmental, CSR is a useful utensil for big companies. Although car manufacturers often do questionable things, CSR is a sure-shot way for the big boys in the biz to make amends to the community and the environment.
More recently, General Motors has announced with great pomp and circumstance that it had joined RE100. The latter is a “global initiative of influential businesses committed to 100% renewable electricity.” The thing is, this isn’t merely a case of window-dressing. Other outfits also play ball.
IKEA, for example, enjoys the title of founding partner of the RE100 eco-conscious bandwagon. Bloomberg LP, on the other hand, had set a goal to use 100% renewable energy by 2025. BMW had promised that it will use “more than two-thirds of its electricity from renewables by 2020.” As for other relevant names committed to the cause, those are Formula E, Tata Motors, Goldman Sachs, Google, H&M, HP, Microsoft, Nike, and Starbucks.
This being a story about General Motors, let’s turn our focus back to the biggest of the Big Three in Detroit. According to chief executive officer Mary Barra, the most powerful lady in the automotive industry, “establishing a 100% renewable energy goal helps us better serve society by reducing environmental impact.” It’s a little uncanny that a manufacturer that makes small-block V8s and full-size pickup trucks can make such a promise.
But then again, by 2050 the car as we know it will be more of a spaceship, not four wheels propelled by an internal combustion engine. EVs are steadily gaining market share, which is no coincidence to General Motors’ pursuit of renewable energy. What's more, the extent of this commitment is enormous.
Be it sunlight, the wind energy or landfill gas, General Motors plans to generate renewable energy for all its operations by 2050. At the current moment, the extent comprises of 350 operations in 59 countries.
IKEA, for example, enjoys the title of founding partner of the RE100 eco-conscious bandwagon. Bloomberg LP, on the other hand, had set a goal to use 100% renewable energy by 2025. BMW had promised that it will use “more than two-thirds of its electricity from renewables by 2020.” As for other relevant names committed to the cause, those are Formula E, Tata Motors, Goldman Sachs, Google, H&M, HP, Microsoft, Nike, and Starbucks.
This being a story about General Motors, let’s turn our focus back to the biggest of the Big Three in Detroit. According to chief executive officer Mary Barra, the most powerful lady in the automotive industry, “establishing a 100% renewable energy goal helps us better serve society by reducing environmental impact.” It’s a little uncanny that a manufacturer that makes small-block V8s and full-size pickup trucks can make such a promise.
But then again, by 2050 the car as we know it will be more of a spaceship, not four wheels propelled by an internal combustion engine. EVs are steadily gaining market share, which is no coincidence to General Motors’ pursuit of renewable energy. What's more, the extent of this commitment is enormous.
Be it sunlight, the wind energy or landfill gas, General Motors plans to generate renewable energy for all its operations by 2050. At the current moment, the extent comprises of 350 operations in 59 countries.
Some exciting news to share today... #RE100 @GM @mtbarra @ClimateGroup @CDP @WMBtweets https://t.co/qXPYE3dixL
— RE100 (@theRE100) September 15, 2016
Google News