The launch of the First Movers Coalition was announced at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in 2021, as an ambitious global initiative of more than fifty companies seeking to use their purchasing power to decarbonize the seven industrial sectors that currently account for over 30% of global emissions: Aluminum, Aviation, Chemicals, Concrete, Shipping, Steel, and Trucking. The overall intention of the First Movers Coalition is to minimize global warming and create a more sustainable future. Last week Ford Motor Company announced that it will be joining the First Movers Coalition, aligning themselves with other companies who share a commitment to reducing emissions.
“Ford has a strong track record of firsts in automotive sustainability, from being the only full-line American automaker to stand with California in support of stronger vehicle emissions standards to being the first automaker to join the Department of Energy’s Better Climate Challenge and commit to reducing our manufacturing emissions earlier this year. And now as part of the First Movers Coalition, we’re targeting the environmental impact of our supply chain by investing in green steel and aluminum,” said Ford Chief Government Affairs Officer Chris Smith. “Together this coalition has the potential to build the future of zero-emissions transportation that is good for people and the planet, and good for business.”
The members of the First Movers Coalition cover five different continents and have a collective market value of nearly $8.5 trillion, and they are working to use their power to help commercialize zero-carbon technologies. Ford specifically is committing to purchasing a minimum of 10% near-zero carbon steel and aluminum by 2030, as well as working to achieve complete carbon neutrality in its vehicles by 2050. The company plans on investing over $50 billion globally between now and 2026 to help encourage the development of electric vehicles and EV batteries. Ford currently recycles up to 20 million pounds of aluminum each month at facilities in Dearborn, Kentucky, and Buffalo.
“Reducing emissions to carbon neutral by 2050 is possible if we invest in the right technologies and bring them to scale within the next decade,” said Ford Director of Supply Chain Sustainability Sue Slaughter. “By joining the First Movers Coalition, Ford is signaling to the market that we want to work with our suppliers to achieve commercially viable?green steel and aluminum. The intent and significance of our commitment today has the potential to help build the net-zero economy.”
Joining the First Movers Coalition aligns well with Ford’s goals for carbon neutrality and sustainability in their operations. Working with the other members of the coalition, which includes United Airlines, Microsoft, and Fedex, Ford Motor Company will be able to make an even larger positive impact on the environment.
