Ford Motor Company will carry on lowering vehicle emissions as planned, despite US President Donald Trump’s decision to pull America out of the Paris Agreement.
In a statement, the automaker said: “We believe climate change is real, and remain deeply committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions in our vehicles and our facilities. Our commitment to sustainability is why we’re investing so heavily in electrification and adding 13 new electrified vehicles to our lineup.”
While the US is officially planning to back out of the climate accord, which sets targets regarding greenhouse gas emissions and finance for well over a hundred countries around the globe, many cities and businesses, as well as several states, have independently remained committed to upholding the agreement. Refusing to cut emissions in America would be hugely expensive for Ford and other automakers; it would mean engineering vehicles to different standards for the US than for the rest of the world. With no discernible benefit, it’s unlikely any American car company that sells globally would take on the added cost.
Just as important, President Trump’s decision to pull out of the Paris Agreement has been met with much derision, and car manufacturers like Ford aren’t keen on tarnishing their own brands by ignoring global concerns over rising sea levels and erratic weather patterns.
Ford’s crosstown rival General Motors also responded to the news of Trump’s plan to exit the Paris Agreement, saying: “GM will not waver from our commitment to the environment and our position on climate change has not changed. International agreements aside, we remain committed to creating a better environment.”
(Source: Detroit Free Press)
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