DE & I
Kristen Siemen At GM , we ’ re about driving sustainability into all aspects of our business . We ’ re a company that ’ s founded on innovation and is innovating every day . New technologies , new processes , new ways of doing things have been weaved into our business strategy . Sustainability isn ’ t something that just a small team of individuals are focussed on .
Probably one of the things that I ’ m most proud of – beyond our products – was back in 2016 , GM set a goal to be 100 % renewable in its global operations by 2050 . I ’ m super proud of the fact that we ’ ve overachieved by 25 years . It really is an example of how quickly you can really move if you just get started .
I participated in the ribbon cutting in Arkansas for the Newport Solar project which will provide renewable energy on to the meso grid and power three of our assembly plants . One of the great things about being down there was the engagement with the community . After we did all the ceremonies we were sitting down with the superintendent of the school and he talked to us about what an impact this had on their community .
He said they were able to increase the revenue that they got for that land versus what they were doing for farming , and it enabled them to provide laptops for every student in their district . He was so excited about the opportunities that this was going to give to the kids and enable them to have a more productive future .
It ’ s seeing that and being part of something that is big for us as a company , but then to understand how it impacts individuals is what is so rewarding about this job .