Environmental Committment

What does an automobile manufacturer have to say about energy and the environment? Quite a lot.

There is no question that our vehicles and manufacturing facilities have an impact on the environment. The good news is that we are hard at work trying to reduce that impact.

From producing new vehicles that reduce dependence on petroleum and create fewer emissions, to making strides in our manufacturing facilities to use less energy and water, and create less waste and fewer emissions, GM is doing its part to help limit our environmental footprint.

This web site provides information to help you understand where GM is today and where we are headed in relation to this planet we all share. Because if you’re visiting this site, we assume you care about the world around us. We do, too. So make sure to stop back often for updates and new information – this arena is evolving and changing quickly and GM is committed to leading the way.

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Safety Initiatives

Motor vehicle safety begins with the driver.  GM designs vehicle controls and systems to assist drivers and to help drivers avoid crashes.  For example, StabiliTrak, GM’s Electronic Stability Control system, helps a driver maintain vehicle control under challenging handling conditions.  Studies show that Electronic Stability Control systems help reduce crash risk by 30 percent or more.  And OnStar’s Turn-By-Turn Navigation provides voice directions that are easy to follow.  StabiliTrak and OnStar’s “Safe and Sound” service are available today on most GM retail vehicles and will be standard on all retail vehicles soon. Restraint use -- using safety belts, child safety seats, and booster seats -- is a critical element in safety.  GM’s enhanced safety belt use reminder system is intended to encourage drivers and passengers to buckle up every time on every trip. No matter how well prepared vehicle occupants are by using crash avoidance systems and wearing safety belts, some collisions still may occur.  GM provides systems to help protect people during a collision.  The vehicle’s energy absorbing structures and restraint systems distribute the forces of the collision to help reduce injury risk. GM engineers its products for many types of collisions.  About 25 percent of our crash tests are to comply with regulations somewhere in the world.  The other 75 percent of our tests go beyond regulations as are part of our efforts to provide a safer collision environment for occupants in most of collisions that might happen in the real world. In the event of a moderate or severe collision, GM is a leader in providing a safety related service:  automatic collision notification.  OnStar’s Automatic Crash Response can initiate a call to an OnStar advisor, who can try to speak with the vehicle’s occupants.  If they ask for emergency assistance or if they are unresponsive, the OnStar advisor will request dispatch of the appropriate emergency service.  OnStar’s most recent advances to the Automatic Crash Response system take this service another step:  OnStar can receive information about the crash (front, side, or rear crash;  rollover crash;  vehicle deceleration;  and other information) that enables emergency responders and trauma specialists to be better prepared to help the crash occupants.  After a collision, GM also addresses safety and rescue with automatic door unlocking, electrical system protection, and activation of perimeter lighting.

Beth Lowery, Vice President Environment, Energy & Safety Policy

 

GM’s commitment to safety goes well beyond the vehicle.  We also work with community institutions, government agencies, and non-profit groups to improve safety belt and child safety seat use, promote child safety in and around vehicles, promote teen driver safety, and prevent drunk driving.
 
Our focused action is:  “GM Continuous Safety:  Protection Before, During and After a Crash.”  Remember:  please make certain that you and everyone riding with you is buckled up.  Restraint use is the law, because it saves lives.

Thank you,

Beth Lowery,Vice President
Environment, Energy & Safety Policy

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Corporate Responsibility Report (Issued March 10, 2009)

Scorecard

 

GM's environmental, economic, product and social Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) are shown below in our Performance Scorecard. The tables cover KPIs comparing 2006 to 2007.  To access related performance information, follow the links in the table. Unless otherwise indicated, data are from our global operations.

 

Product Indicators	2006	2007	Performance
Fuel Economy, miles per gallon (US)
- Car	30.1	31.2	Increased 3.6%
- Light truck	22.5	23.0	Increased 2%
CO2 per mile, by model year (US)
- Car	295gm	284gm	Reduced 3.7%
- Light Truck	394gm	385gm	Reduced 2.3%

Environmental Indicators	2006	2007	Performance
Energy use (GWh) **	29,304	27,253	Reduced 7 %
CO2 emissions (metric tons)	10.23 million	9.54 million	Reduced 6.7%
Waste (metric tons) ***	3.48 million	3.17 million	Reduced 8.9%
Recycling rate	89 %	88 %	Reduced 1 %
Water use (cubic meters)	55.3 million	54.5 million	Reduced 1.4 %
Sites certified to ISO 14001	100 %	100 %

Social Indicators	2006	2007	Performance
Community donations/ sponsorships (US$)*	$55.1 million	$57.8 million	Increased 4.9 %
Diversity: hourly female employees (U.S. workforce)	17.4%	18.1%	Increased 4 %
Diversity: salary female employees (U.S. workforce)	26.9%	24.5%	Reduced 8.9 %
Diversity: hourly minority employees (U.S. workforce)	23.6%	24.2%	Increased 2.5 %
Diversity: salary minority employees (U.S. workforce)	19.5%	19.7%	Increased 1%
Recordable injury rate (per 100 employees) (North American workforce)	2.64	2.14	Reduced 19 %
Lost time accident rate (per 100 employees)  (North American workforce)	0.21	0.15	Reduced 28.6 %

 

* See currency converter at www.oanda.com, a non-GM site, please check privacy policy.
** See energy conversion factors at physics.nist.gov, a non-GM site, please check privacy policy.
*** See unit conversion factors at ts.nist.gov, a non-GM site, please check privacy policy.