Celebrate milestones and move to the next sustainability goal
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Most of us who have been involved in sustainable business remember when 2030 seemed a distant — and thus wholly attainable — goal for a low-carbon future with food, water and energy security. But 2030 is now less than a decade away, and businesses that haven’t already committed to, and progressed toward, the UN’s sustainable development goals and other benchmarks may have trouble doing so.
Covid-19 has, of course, disrupted every aspect of life and business, and any description of its economic impact seems like an understatement. But progress to sustainability must continue. As a global business that embarked on that journey 20 years ago, we’ve learnt some instructive lessons, as evident in Ford Motor Company’s latest sustainability report. It is important to recognise that everything you do moves you closer to or further from your goal, because each day without action taken is an opportunity missed.
Ford’s two main sustainability objectives are to put people first and to protect the planet. They have been on my mind, and those of my colleagues, during Covid-19. Many organisations claim to be people-centric and then discover, to their cost, that merely saying so in a vision and mission achieves little if it’s not reflected in the lived experience of people who interact in some way with the brand.
It’s more effective — and certainly more fulfilling — to heed the Greek philosopher Socrates, who said: “The way to gain a good reputation is to endeavour to be what you desire to appear.” Accordingly, Ford invests heavily in putting people at the centre of what we do: employees, dealers, suppliers, the communities around our operations, and customers. Customer service is something we haven’t always got right in the past, and it’s a major area of focus for us.
Building a people-centric business manifests in innumerable ways across the business. It includes our efforts to become the world’s most inclusive and diverse company, and supporting community projects that focus on education, skills development and training. It includes investment in transformation and access to Stem (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) careers, and our efforts to promote engineering as a career path for women. It includes manifesting our commitment to human rights, the LGBTQ community, and the disabled.
We've committed to making a positive contribution to the world by reducing the emissions associated with the use of our vehicles, and to responsibly managing our operations and ...
Covid-19 has, of course, disrupted every aspect of life and business, and any description of its economic impact seems like an understatement. But progress to sustainability must continue. As a global business that embarked on that journey 20 years ago, we’ve learnt some instructive lessons, as evident in Ford Motor Company’s latest sustainability report. It is important to recognise that everything you do moves you closer to or further from your goal, because each day without action taken is an opportunity missed.
Ford’s two main sustainability objectives are to put people first and to protect the planet. They have been on my mind, and those of my colleagues, during Covid-19. Many organisations claim to be people-centric and then discover, to their cost, that merely saying so in a vision and mission achieves little if it’s not reflected in the lived experience of people who interact in some way with the brand.
It’s more effective — and certainly more fulfilling — to heed the Greek philosopher Socrates, who said: “The way to gain a good reputation is to endeavour to be what you desire to appear.” Accordingly, Ford invests heavily in putting people at the centre of what we do: employees, dealers, suppliers, the communities around our operations, and customers. Customer service is something we haven’t always got right in the past, and it’s a major area of focus for us.
Building a people-centric business manifests in innumerable ways across the business. It includes our efforts to become the world’s most inclusive and diverse company, and supporting community projects that focus on education, skills development and training. It includes investment in transformation and access to Stem (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) careers, and our efforts to promote engineering as a career path for women. It includes manifesting our commitment to human rights, the LGBTQ community, and the disabled.
We've committed to making a positive contribution to the world by reducing the emissions associated with the use of our vehicles, and to responsibly managing our operations and ...