The largest environmental impact of our manufacturing results from the use of natural gas and electricity, which creates CO2 emissions. Honda is decreasing its CO2 generation by reducing energy usage, increasing energy efficiency of processes, installing carbon neutral equipment when equipment is at end of life, and using clean energy. Some of our efforts include:
• Managing usage on weekends and between shifts
• Repairing compressed air leaks
• Installing heat pumps for HVAC
• Converting propane forklifts to electric
• Recovering and utilizing waste heat to reduce natural gas usage
Honda’s long-term Virtual Power Purchase Agreements (VPPAs) for renewable wind and solar power cover more than 60% of the electricity we use in North America. These VPPAs enable Honda to offset the carbon-intensive grid-supplied electricity being used in our Ohio, Indiana, and Alabama automobile manufacturing operations. As a result, Honda is one of the top automakers globally in the adoption of renewable energy to power our operations.
Additionally, Honda mass production and manufacturing facilities in the U.S. continue to lead the industry in energy efficiency. All Honda U.S. and Canada auto plant locations earned the 2023 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ENERGY STAR Certificate for Outstanding Energy Efficiency.
Nearly Zero-Waste-to-Landfill
We are implementing recovery systems to eliminate waste and reuse raw materials. All 12 Honda manufacturing plants in the U.S. are nearly zero-waste-to-landfill, reducing waste to landfills by 90% since 2001. In Fiscal Year 2023, 99% of the waste from Honda’s 12 U.S. parts warehousing and distribution centers was diverted from landfills.
Zero Industrial Water Intake
We make every effort to use as little water as possible in our product development and manufacturing efforts. We have set a goal to achieve 22% total water intake reduction by 2030 and zero industrial water intake by 2050. Additionally, we’ve implemented programs to effectively treat all wastewater prior to its discharge to municipal treatment plants.
To reduce the environmental impact of our extended supply chain, we collaborate with our suppliers to foster sustainability excellence within their own organizations across seven categories of sustainability: Compliance and Ethics, Diversity, Environment, Governance, Health and Safety, Social Responsibility, and Trade Compliance.
We’ve collaborated with 13 other automakers to develop the Automotive Industry Guiding Principles and Practical Guidance Document to achieve supply chain excellence, innovation, and performance in a sustainable manner. The auto industry supply chain has a high degree of complexity, so these guidelines allow us to work together to attain the highest standard when it comes to the environmental performance of our supply chain.