Resource Conservation: Energy & Emissions

Our facilities reduced energy use by 34 percent between 2005 and 2010.

Our focus on improving energy efficiency and reducing emissions in our vehicles and manufacturing facilities is matched by a similar focus in our global facilities that support the production of these vehicles. Around the world, we are committed to realizing energy efficiencies and minimizing our carbon footprint. We are proud of the past accomplishments of our facilities, including a 34 percent reduction in energy use at facilities in continuing operation between 2005 and 2010. The various energy use reductions also led to a 30 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, or 3.34 million metric tons, over the same time period.

This progress has been achieved by a combination of best practices and capital investment, including automated shutdown of equipment when not in use, installation of energy-efficient lighting, consumption tracking and analysis through our energy management systems, and upgrades to more efficient heating and cooling systems.

In 2010, for example, automated idle equipment shutdowns alone at 10 plants have resulted in annual savings of $3 million. Around the world, we achieved further energy savings and emissions reductions through other initiatives as well. Some examples are:

The installation of efficient lights, variable-speed drives on motors, improved heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems and controls to realize $4.4 million in annual savings in our Tonawanda, New York, plant.
Workshops for employees in each of our European manufacturing facilities to identify areas of energy waste that, when fully implemented, could result in savings of up to $4.2 million ($1.4 million were already implemented in 2010).
A heat-recovery project for our Gliwice, Poland, paint shop, which represented a $400,000 investment that will yield $900,000 in energy savings annually.

A new compressed-air project to better meet the needs of our Kaiserslautern, Germany, plant that yields energy savings of $750,000 annually.
The replacement of a 25-plus-year-old air compressor in Brazil with a new energy-efficient compressor. When completed at the end of 2011, this investment will result in a minimum of 20 percent annual energy savings.

Progress is a never-ending proposition for us. We continue to focus on additional improvements and in 2011, GM met the EPA's ENERGY STAR Challenge for Industry by cutting energy intensity at 30 North American plants by an average of 25 percent — equivalent to the emissions from powering 97,000 U.S. homes. The effort also saved GM $50 million in energy costs. Collectively, the manufacturing facilities avoided more than 778,830 metric tons of greenhouse gas. It would require the planting of 20 million trees that grow for 10 years to mitigate the same amount.

To achieve the challenge, GM's EMS was central to driving continuous improvement, implementing best practices, benchmarking energy use and making smart investments in energy-efficient lighting and more efficient heating and cooling systems.

GM's 30 plants represent nearly a third of all sites that have achieved the ENERGY STAR Challenge for Industry. According to the EPA, 86 of the 386 manufacturing sites that have taken the challenge have met the goal to date, improving their energy efficiency by 10 percent or more.

"EPA congratulates GM for achieving these important energy efficiency improvements. Energy efficiency can deliver significant financial and environmental benefits, and we look forward to GM's continued leadership and partnership with ENERGY STAR."
Jean Lupinacci
Chief of the ENERGY STAR Commercial and Industrial Program

2020 Commitment: Reduce energy intensity from facilities by 20 percent.^*

Includes all manufacturing and nonmanufacturing facility energy use, normalized by vehicle production (correlates to CO₂ scopes). This data includes data from some GM JVs.

2020 Commitment: Reduce carbon intensity from facilities by 20 percent.^*

Includes all manufacturing and nonmanufacturing CO₂ in the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) Scope 1&2 categories normalized by vehicle production. This data includes data from some GM JVs.

^*2010 Baseline Year. Facilities included in 2010 metrics, 2015 and 2020 targets reflect General Motors Company owned or operated facilities as of December 31, 2010. Metrics for 2000 and 2005 are based on operations of General Motors Corporation and have been restated to exclude facilities no longer owned or operated by General Motors Company.

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