Blueprint for Sustainability - Corporate - Ford Motor Company

MOBILITY25NEW APPROACHES TO MEGA-CITY MOBILITYAs we continue to compete for a share of automobile sales inboth mature and rapidly growing markets, we are simultaneouslydeveloping a new business model – called mega-city mobility– based on providing innovative, integrated urban mobilityproducts, services and technologies. We have spent severalyears developing the mega-city mobility concept and process.Because we believe that mobility solutions must be tailored tolocal economic, cultural and infrastructure characteristics, theprocess begins with building a network of committed privatesectorand public-sector partners. It also includes extensivestakeholder engagement to identify critical problems andpromising solutions.During 2007 and early 2008, we moved forward with buildingnetworks to support a mega-city mobility pilot project in CapeTown, South Africa, and explore potential projects in other locationsaround the world. We have also begun planning for projects inChicago, Washington DC, Los Angeles, Detroit and Atlanta, andwe are participating, with the World Resources Institute’sEMBARQ project, in a mobility program in Istanbul, Turkey.We have a business presence in all of these locations and haveworked over the years to build trust with potential partners andstakeholders through our commitment to sustainability reporting,support for human rights and engagement with local communities.These locations also have major unmet mobility needs.We have found that public and private entities in these cities areconcerned about mobility problems and are receptive to potentialsolutions. During 2008, we will launch the Cape Town project,described on the following page, as a prototype. Our goal for theyear is to complete the design of 10 to 12 hub/network sites tolink transportation modes.The environmental and social case for mega-city mobility iscompelling. We believe the business case for Ford’s involvementis equally compelling. We are moving ahead with these prototypeprojects, which will help us understand the practicalities ofproviding integrated urban mobility services. By partnering withdiverse organizations and providing real solutions for challengingproblems, we’re learning valuable lessons about how we canmeet customer needs well into the future.PARTNERSHIPS AS AVENUES FOR LEARNINGAND ACTIONIn our view, developing practical, broad-based sustainablemobility solutions will require the combined efforts of a rangeof private-sector partners representing transportation, energy,telecommunications, real estate, logistics and more, as well asgovernment and consumer partners. That is why the followingpartnerships have been a key element of Ford’s sustainablemobility strategy.Sustainable Mobility and Accessibility Research andTransformationSMART – an interdisciplinary initiative at the University ofMichigan in Ann Arbor – takes a collaborative, systemsapproach to developing innovative, sustainable andconnected mobility and accessibility solutions in globalurban regions. SMART is a key partner in Ford’s mega-citymobility projects, providing the conceptual foundations andco-developing the partnerships and pilot projects. We areconvinced that our partnership with SMART will produce anew systems approach for addressing the increasinglycomplex challenges to achieving sustainable mobility andaccessibility globally, while at the same time transforming thetransportation industry into a more sustainable and equitablenew mobility industry.Georgia TechFord and Georgia Tech have a strong cooperative relationship,focused particularly on sustainability. At present, GeorgiaTech is assisting Ford by:developing the business case for mega-city mobility,especially pertaining to finance, information technology andvehicles (including fuels, design, carbon and powertrains)building on the results of Ford’s prototype projects,particularly with regard to software device connections.The Prince of Wales ForumFord has taken part in The Prince of Wales’ InternationalBusiness Leaders Forum for seven years. The Forum’smission is to promote responsible business leadership andpartnerships for social, economic and environmentallysustainable international development, particularly in newand emerging market economies. Ford has participated in theForum’s Business and Environment and Business and Povertyprograms. Through these venues, Ford leaders have gaineda better understanding of global sustainable developmentissues and the variety of perspectives on the role ofcorporations in contributing to sustainability. Also, the Princeof Wales’ Cape Town leadership team joined with SMART andFord to convene, lead and manage the Cape Town project.INTRODUCTION GOVERNANCE CLIMATE CHANGE MOBILITY HUMAN RIGHTS VEHICLE SAFETY SUSTAINING FORD CONCLUSIONFor more information visit:www.ford.com/go/sustainability