EXECUTIVE INSIGHT
“Sustainable decisions are not just good decisions from a sustainability standpoint , they ' re good business decisions ”
Q . AS CHIEF SUSTAINABILITY OFFICER , HOW DO YOU ENGAGE THE WIDER BUSINESS WITH THE SUSTAINABILITY STRATEGY AND HOW DOES IT CONNECT WITH GM ’ S BUSINESS STRATEGY ?
» I ' ve been with GM for almost 30 years , mostly spent in product development . As an engineer by degree , I grew up in the electrical space and have worked in a number of the different areas of the company . So I ' m very fortunate to understand our business , what it takes to build a sustainability strategy and what it takes to put a product into production . Starting from the design phase , we consider things like designing for disassembly and designing for recycling , choosing the right sustainable materials , working with our purchasing partners to make sure that we ' re procuring what we need for the future . My ultimate goal would be that we have sustainability weaved into our culture just as much as we have safety and quality . Sustainability is not a choice – it really is part of our business strategy .
Q . HOW DOES RENEWABLE ENERGY FIT INTO GM ’ S WIDER SUSTAINABILITY STRATEGY ?
» Having reliable access to enough energy for consumers is extremely important and making the transition to a green future and decarbonising the grid is extremely important .
The US has a very ageing infrastructure , so as that transition occurs we need to make sure that we ' re focused on making it green so that consumers can really get the benefit .
Q . WHAT IS THE FIRST MOVERS COALITION AND WHY DID GM JOIN ?
» The First Movers Coalition is about collaborating and sending a supply signal to the industry that there ' s a demand and that we really need to make decisions .
20 May 2024