The Largest US carmaker is going green. The company plans to become carbon neutral in its global products and operations by 2040 and has committed to setting science-based targets to achieve carbon neutrality.

“General Motors is joining governments and companies around the globe working to establish a safer, greener and better world. We encourage others to follow suit and make a significant impact on our industry and on the economy as a whole.” Commented Mary Barra, GM chairman and CEO as the company signed the Business Ambition Pledge for 1.5C, a call to action from a global coalition of UN agencies, business and industry leaders.

In addition to GM’s carbon goals, the company worked with the Environmental Defense Fund to develop a shared vision of an all-electric future and zero emissions from new light-duty vehicles by 2035. GM’s focus will be offering zero-emissions vehicles across a range of price points and working with all stakeholders, including EDF, to build out the necessary charging infrastructure and promote consumer acceptance while maintaining high quality jobs, which will all be needed to meet these ambitious goals.

More than half of GM’s capital spending and product development team will now be devoted to electric and electric-autonomous vehicle programmes. Within existing technologies, the company will also continue to increase fuel efficiency of its internal combustion vehicles – a concept that can have immediate emissions benefits in the transition period.

To address emissions from its own operations, GM will source 100 per cent renewable energy to power its US sites by 2030 and global sites by 2035, and to account for the expected remaining carbon emissions, GM expects to invest in carbon credits or offsets.

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