Challenges to Personal Mobility

In our inaugural report published in January 2012, GM Vice President for Sustainability and Global Regulatory Affairs Mike Robinson discussed our position on a wide range of issues facing the automotive industry. In this continuing discussion, he provides updates on many of these issues and shares how our sustainability strategy is evolving within the company.

Q:

In GM's inaugural Sustainability Report published in early 2012, you outlined a sustainability strategy that was aligned with the Company's business model. Which parts of this model are working best today?

A:

Sustainability is well-integrated into our manufacturing process and part of the cultural DNA in our plants. There are a lot of well-earned bragging points for this area of our business when it comes to sustainability. I'm also pleased with the progress we've made in a relatively short period of time in the supply chain area. There's a lot of work to do, but our supply chain organization is really taking ownership of sustainability issues, and I expect to see more progress in the near term.

Q:

What parts of the model are more difficult to execute?

A:

When you look at how much progress our plants have made in areas such as waste reduction, the employee engagement factor really jumps out as a contributor. We have to make sure that we're motivating employees across the entire organization, and the best way to do that is to invite them to contribute their ideas. Our best solutions come from people who are actually working on practical issues as opposed to theoretical concepts that we apply.

Q:

How do you engage a workforce of more than 200,000 people?

A:

One of the preliminary insights to come out of our Workplace of Choice employee surveys is that people want to feel like they're making a difference and that they're being challenged. We've got one of the largest global operations in the world with lots of different cultures and geographies, but one of the common threads is that people want to feel good about where they work. They want to feel like they're working for a company that's contributing to society. That's universal. Sustainability gives everybody an opportunity to contribute and to get engaged in solving big, complex problems.

Q:

What's the biggest challenge to employee engagement?

A:

We have to continually communicate and create opportunities for people to contribute, and that's often hard when you're dealing with external challenges. A good example is Europe, where a depressed economy and industry overcapacity are creating a very difficult business environment for us and for most of our competitors. We must be sure that we're making responsible business decisions and making it possible for people to contribute regardless of the business environment. Great companies don't take their eye off the ball; they remain vigilant about issues that are of the greatest importance long term.

Q:

When you think about those long-term issues, what are the priorities?

A:

The most significant long-term issues for GM and the industry are to increase fuel economy and reduce CO₂ as far across the spectrum as possible; deal with urban congestion in a responsible way; integrate safety systems into vehicles while also reducing vehicle mass; and find alternatives for rare earth materials so that we don't substitute one resource dependency for another.

Q:

Does GM have a position on greenhouse gas and climate change?

A:

There are all kinds of politics around the issue of climate change, but from our standpoint it makes sense for us to focus on solutions that reduce CO₂ in our plants and in our vehicles. These solutions have business benefits. Energy reduction translates into lower energy costs for us. More efficient, lower-emission vehicles translate into better fuel economy. Better fuel economy translates into greater customer value. We want to be part of the answer that society has to come up with to reduce the amount of fossil fuel we use and ensure our energy security moving forward.

Q:

What is GM doing to reduce the automotive industry's reliance on petroleum today?

A:

As you will read in this report, we are working on a variety of solutions. But at the end of the day, customers will decide what type of technology they want and what they are willing to pay. We want to give vehicle owners good, intelligent choices. Their purchasing decisions, based on their own needs and lifestyles, will largely determine our future direction.

Q:

Vehicles with advanced technologies, such as hybrids and electric vehicles, have carried a premium price. What are you doing to ensure that GM offers affordable and sustainable choices?

A:

Our approach has been to provide people with multiple options. In the case of trucks, for example, hybrid systems will be available to truck owners so that they can do the value analysis on what they need in a truck and how much the technology is worth to them. Hybrid technology may not work for every vehicle, but it does make sense in many cases. We will learn a lot through the new Buick LaCrosse, which is now being sold with two powertrains, a six-cylinder and a four-cylinder engine with eAssist technology. Again, the answers are evolving and largely being shaped by market demand.