Strategy
Our sustainability strategy supports our vision of an all-electric future, our carbon neutral goal and our growth strategy, which we believe can lead to greater revenue and margins.
“Our world is evolving in dynamic, complex and unexpected ways. To remain at the forefront of innovation, we must understand the future, embrace it and incorporate it into everything we do.”
Katura BrownGlobal Foresight & Trends Manager
Our Sustainability Journey
At GM, we are transforming the way we do things—from the materials we source and the way we manufacture to the products we deliver—and making progress toward our sustainability goals.
In change, we see opportunity. It is our chance to lead; to provide the vehicles of tomorrow that we believe our customers are looking for today; to use our expertise, scale and experience to help solve some of society’s greatest challenges.
Growing Through Innovation
At GM, we are always innovating. From pioneering the first electric starter to assisting drivers in emergencies with OnStar through our advanced software technologies, GM has always pushed the limits of engineering. Today, with Ultium as a driving force, we are enabling our EV strategy and our vision of zero emissions.
Taking Environmental Action
We have ambitious climate goals and we are committed to achieving them. To reach our goal of carbon neutrality in global products and operations by 2040, we will continue to prioritize creating a broad portfolio of EVs and enhancing the sustainability of our supply chain. We cannot do it alone, but we will lead based on our strengths.
Everybody In
Our role at GM is not just to direct our own company’s transformation; it is also to bring everybody in on the journey to a safer, all-electric future, including our workforce and the communities in which we live and work. We are on a path to prove that technology and collaboration, driven by purpose, can help change the world.
Driving Responsible Governance
Leading with integrity is an essential part of working toward an all-electric future that is better for people and the environment. As GM drives impactful change by bringing EVs, mobility and connectivity to the next level, we have processes and policies in place to help guide responsible, ethical action.
Assessing Priorities
To prioritize the sustainability topics we address, we engage with our stakeholders through a formal assessment process. This helps us understand the topics that are most relevant to them and to our business, and that offer the greatest opportunity for GM to create shared value.
We performed our most recent Sustainability Priority Assessment in 2021, and plan to conduct similar assessments every two years, taking emerging sustainability issues, global events and other trends into consideration.
The placing of priorities into three categories reflects the range of different stakeholder perspectives. The 2021 assessment identified six topics as “highest priority” and therefore urgent for the company to manage. Some topics were not deemed as urgent because stakeholders and management view them as a GM strength today. Other “priorities” are seen more as emerging issues that could grow in importance over time.
Our Four-Part Process
In collaboration with a third party, we undertook a four-part process aligned with the GRI materiality principle for sustainability reporting.
Identify sustainability topics relevant to GM and the automotive industry
Understand stakeholder perspectives
- Survey GM employees
- Interview internal and external stakeholders
- Regularly engage with our shareholders
Score and prioritize the topics based on quantitative and qualitative inputs
Develop a tiered priority matrix
Progress Toward Our Goals
We are on track to meet our sustainability goals and are proud of the progress we are making. The below graphs show the progress we have made toward our sustainability goals to date.
Reducing Scope 1 and 2 operations emissions by 72% by 2035 against a 2018 baseline
We have achieved 53% of our goal
Reducing energy intensity in our operations by 35% by 2035 against a 2010 baseline
We have achieved 5% of our goal
We plan to achieve these goals by improving the efficiency of our operations and increasing our use of renewable power for electricity. Energy intensity consists of base energy used and variable energy (production volume). With the investments in new plants and retooling of plants for EV production, there will be several opportunities to improve the energy intensity of our operations. One challenge in achieving these goals is finding alternatives to natural gas for the paint ovens in our plants, and heating our manufacturing and nonmanufacturing facilities.
Power 100% of our electricity for our U.S. sites from renewable sources by 2025
We have achieved 55% of our goal
Although we now have the agreements in place to meet our goal to source 100% of our electricity for all our U.S. sites from renewable energy by 2025,1 we will continue to support the growth of renewable power generation through direct investments, on-site power generation, green tariffs and power purchase agreements.
Reducing Scope 3 GHG emissions from the use of sold products of light-duty vehicles by 51% per vehicle kilometer by 2035 against a 2018 baseline
We have achieved 11% of our goal
Eliminating tailpipe emissions from new U.S. light-duty vehicles by 2035
We have achieved 2% of our goal
We remain focused on accelerating the transition from internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles and offering EVs across a range of price points and segments. We are on track to produce 400,000 EVs in North America by mid-2024 and have contractually secured all battery raw materials to support our goal of having 1 million units of EV capacity in North America in 2025. Our investments in EV and battery cell manufacturing will allow us to rapidly scale our EV production footprint, leading to tangible progress toward this goal.
Reducing water intensity by 35% by 2035 against a 2010 baseline
We have achieved 30% of our goal
We will achieve this goal by addressing our highest water consumption areas, which include our paint shops and cooling towers. We will design water-saving measures into new processes and retrofit existing technology during facility upgrades.
Diverting more than 90% of our total operational waste from landfills, incinerators and energy recovery facilities by 2025
We have achieved 100% of our goal
The waste program covers solid, containerized and hazardous waste generated by our operations. These efforts drive innovations that provide the greatest benefit to the environment.
1 Based on estimated forecasted global renewable energy sourced through currently executed agreements, subject to change depending on actual future electric usage in operations and actual future renewable generation.
More on Strategy in Our 2022 Sustainability Report
The External Landscape
Our sustainability strategy continues to evolve, informed by a range of external environmental, social and regulatory trends and pressures.
Our Priorities
Learn more about how we align our priorities with the strategies and actions that are enabling us to work toward a more sustainable world.
How We Create Value
Our Purpose—to pioneer the innovations that move and connect people to what matters—is the foundation for creating long-term value for all our stakeholders.
Also on This Site
Innovation
Our innovations include electric vehicles and charging infrastructure, self-driving ride-hailing services and low-carbon delivery vehicles.
Environment
To become carbon neutral across our products and operations by 2040, we are working toward greater efficiency in our products and operations through our production processes and the resources we use.
Social
Our aspiration is to make GM the most inclusive company in the world. We are also focused on protecting human rights, fostering supplier relationships and bringing communities along.
Governance
We have robust governance structures and policies in place to manage our business in a responsible and ethical way.