Ford leaves Global Climate Coalition, still opposes Kyoto

MSNBC NEWS SERVICES
December 7, 1999

Dec. 7 — Ford Motor Co. has withdrawn from a business lobbying group that argues credible evidence of global warming does not exist. The carmaker said government and industry should take preventive measures, but also made clear it still opposes the Kyoto climate change treaty.

FORD IS the latest example of a Fortune 500 company quitting the Global Climate Coalition and saying climate change must be dealt with. Other companies that have left the group in the past two years include British Petroleum, Shell Oil and Dow Chemical.
       
The Global Climate Coalition is a Washington-based group that argues there is insufficient scientific evidence to confirm serious warming of the earth due to so-called “greenhouse” gases. The coalition has more than 40 corporate members, including oil companies and automakers such as General Motors Corp. and DaimlerChrysler AG.
       
Many scientists believe Earth is gradually warming because of greenhouse gas emissions — mainly carbon dioxide from automobiles, factories and power plants.
       
THE NEW FORD

Ford’s chairman, William Clay Ford Jr., is a self-described “lifelong environmentalist” and promised last year to make the world’s No. 2 automaker the industry leader in developing clean vehicles.
       
“Our intent at Ford is to move forward in progressive and constructive ways to address environmental issues,” Ford wrote in a letter dated Friday explaining the company’s decision to Dominican Sister Patricia Daly of the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility.
       
Ford spokesman Terry Bresnihan said that “over time, being in GCC has become something of an impediment to pursuing our environmental initiatives in a credible way.
       
“We do believe there is something to climate change,” he added. “There is enough evidence that something is happening that we ought to start looking at this seriously.”
       
Ford favors working with other companies and government on voluntary solutions based on technology. “We’ve been saying for some time, even though the science is not all in, that government and industry should be looking at measures starting now,” Bresnihan said.
       
COALITION CONTINUES
       
Global Climate Coalition spokesman Frank Maisano called Ford’s decision “a little disappointing” and said he believes the company and the group share similar positions on global warming.
       
The coalition remains “viable” and will continue to work on voluntary agreements between industry and government to promote energy efficiency and common sense approaches to climate change, Maisano said.
       
A spokesman for General Motors, the world’s largest automaker, said that company had no plans to leave the coalition.
       
ENVIRONMENTAL VIEW
       
Ford’s policies have created mixed feelings among environmentalists.

Its departure from the GCC was welcomed. Ozone Action director John Passacantando called it “a signal that corporate America is recognizing the reality of the threat.”
       
Ford has also made announcements in the past two years that its light trucks would meet tougher emissions standards than the government requires. And Ford, like others, has been working on hybrid cars that get much greater mileage per gallon of fuel.
       
But Ford has been under fire from environmental groups for manufacturing some of the largest sports utility vehicles, like the popular Expedition and Excursion models. Green groups say the gas-guzzling vehicles spew too much carbon into the air.
       
FORD OPPOSES KYOTO
       
More importantly to environmentalists is the fact that Ford still opposes the 1997 climate treaty reached in Kyoto, Japan. It would require that the United States reduce greenhouse emissions to below 1990 levels by 2008-2012, a cut of more than a third from where emissions are expected to be by then.
       
The document has faced opposition in the Senate, which must ratify the treaty before it becomes effective.
       
Ford and others in industry, as well as the Global Climate Coalition, argues the Kyoto accord would lead to soaring energy prices and economic losses.
       
Moreover, the treaty would not impose limits on economically developing countries such as China and India. The coalition contends that because they account for a significant portion of the world’s population, and therefore its pollution, they also must agree to emissions cuts.
       
Bresnihan said Ford continued to oppose the Kyoto treaty.

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.

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