Ford Shareholders Fail to Adopt Resolution on Clean Supply Chains, Disappointing NGOs and Advocates
Press contact:
April Thomas
[email protected]
Today, at the Ford Motor Company annual general meeting, Ford shareholders failed to adopt a shareholder proposal from Green Century Capital Management, Inc on clean supply chains. The resolution called on the company to issue a report on its aluminum, steel, mineral, rubber, and leather supply chains, disclosing how it can enhance supply chain traceability and transparency regarding deforestation risk and GHG emissions and increase procurement targets for sustainable materials.
Lead the Charge network member organizations were disappointed in this lack of action from Ford and its shareholders, given Ford’s status as the top scorer in the 2024 Lead the Charge leaderboard, and Ford’s membership in the First Movers’ Coalition, which includes a commitment to buying at least 10% low-carbon primary steel and aluminum by 2030. Green Century’s proposal offered a pathway for Ford to realize that commitment by also joining initiatives like ResponsibleSteel, SteelZero and the RMI Sustainable Steel Buyers Platform that would support the company in operationalizing its commitments to decarbonizing steel and aluminum.
“Ford’s shareholders missed a huge opportunity to actualize their commitments to decarbonize its steel and aluminum supply chains by rejecting this proposal. While the company previously signaled its intentions to build more sustainable supply chains when it joined the First Movers Coalition and announced three agreements on low-carbon steel, Ford must take concrete action to meaningfully cut carbon emissions from its supply chains,” said Carly Oboth, senior supply chain campaigner, with Public Citizen’s Climate Program.
The Green Century proposal also highlighted Ford’s connections to deforestation through its rubber, leather and minerals supply chains. Ford recently joined the Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance, and the proposal called for enhanced disclosure of deforestation risk from mineral sourcing and any mitigation measures that Ford or its suppliers are taking.
“We’re encouraged that some Ford shareholders did vote in favor of dramatically cutting carbon emissions by reducing its deforestation footprint, and documenting that publicly. Ford has yo-yoed in and out of sustainability commitments, previously joining, then leaving, the Global Platform for Sustainable Natural Rubber. Moving forward it needs a committed strategy to make rapid progress, with senior executive buy-in,” said Amanda Hurowitz from Mighty Earth.
