Motor manufacturing giant General Motors has promised to source 100% of its power from renewable energy sources throughout all of its global operations by 2050.
The car manufacturer said it plans to source clean power from all its 350 operations across 59 countries to help it meet its internal climate goals.
General Motors will also join the global RE100 scheme, which has so far seen 70 businesses from around the world commit to sourcing all of their power from renewable energy sources.
The new renewable energy commitment will build on General Motorsâ previous goal to expand its renewable energy capacity to 125MW by 2020, a target that the company hopes to exceed when two new wind projects come online later in the year to help power four manufacturing operations.
GM Chairman and CEO Mary Barra commented: “Establishing a 100 per cent renewable energy goal helps us better serve society by reducing environmental impact.
“This pursuit of renewable energy benefits our customers and communities through cleaner air while strengthening our business through lower and more stable energy costs.”
General Motors stated that it currently saves around $5 million each year in energy costs through the use of renewable energy sources.
The firm expects this figure to rise as more projects come online and the supply of renewable energy increases.
Earlier in the week, General Motors also unveiled its first mass market all electric car, the Chevy Bolt, which can drive for 238 miles on a fully charged battery. That would mean the vehicle having a longer range than the highly anticipated Tesla Model 3 electric vehicle, which will be able to travel 215 miles on a single charge.
General Motors said that the renewable energy pledge, along with its pursuit of electric vehicles and more efficient manufacturing, was part of the company’s “overall approach to strengthening its business, improving communities and addressing climate change”.
