Honda Release 2013 North American Environmental Report

TORRANCE, Calif., Dec. 10, 2013 – /PRNewswire/ – Honda today released its ninth annual North American Environmental Report. Honda’s ongoing efforts to reduce the environmental impact of its products and business operations resulted in a number of significant advancements, including a 9.5% year-over-year increase in the CO₂-adjusted fleet average fuel economy of model year 2012 Honda and Acura automobiles sold in the U.S., to 26.4 miles per gallon (mpg); a 16.2% year-over-year reduction in the CO₂ emission intensity of automobile production in North America; and an 8% year-over-year reduction in CO₂ emissions resulting from the shipment of finished products from factories to dealers in the U.S.

The 2013 Honda North American Environmental Report also details Honda’s ongoing actions to effectively minimize the company’s impact on the environment, including waste reduction,resource conservation and energy efficiency improvement. The report covers the period from April 1, 2012 to March 31, 2013 (fiscal year 2013) and is published digitally. The 2013 Honda North American Environmental Report is available for viewing and can be downloaded at: http://corporate.honda.com/environment/2013-report.

2013 North American Environmental Report Highlights:

• Product Development
  • In the automobile lineup, Honda launched the new, ninth-generation Accord as the first vehicle in North America to apply engines and transmissions from Honda’s new Earth Dreams Technology powertrain series, significantly advancing both fuel efficiency and fun-to-drive performance.
• Purchasing
  • Through implementation of “green logistics” programs, Honda avoided more than 4.3 million miles of truck travel and an estimated 6.7 million pounds of CO₂ emissions associated with the transportation of mass production parts from North American suppliers to Honda plants in the region in FY13.
• Manufacturing 
  • Total CO₂ emissions from production activity in North America[ii] rose 14.8% to 1.01 million metric tons, due in large part to a significant rise in production activity, including a 37% increase in automobile production.  At 582 kg/auto, the CO₂emissions intensity of automobile production fell 16.2% in FY13.
  • Honda maintained its commitment to send less than 1% of waste from manufacturing operations in North America to landfills. Landfill waste per unit of automobile production has been reduced 94.7% from FY01 baseline levels to just 2.4 kg/auto.
  • Water use rose 19.1% on higher production volumes, while water use per unit ofautomobile production fell 12.9% versus year-ago levels.
• Sales and Service
  • The CO₂ emissions intensity of transporting finished products (automobiles, powersports and power equipment products) to U.S. dealerships was reduced 8% from year-ago results and 17.9% over a five-year period (FY08-FY13).
  • The CO₂ emissions intensity of transporting Honda and Acura service parts to U.S. dealerships (metric tons of CO₂ per $1 million of parts sales) was reduced 13.5% from year-ago levels and 34% over a four-year period (FY09-FY13).
  • American Honda achieved zero waste-to-landfill for three of its nine parts distribution facilities in the U.S., as more than 95% of all waste materials associated with service parts packaging and shipment were reduced, reused or recycled in FY13.
• In Use
  • The CO₂-adjusted fleet-average fuel economy[iii] of Honda and Acura automobiles sold in the U.S. in model year 2012 (MY12) was improved 9.5% versus the previous model year 2011 to 26.4 miles per gallon (mpg), and was 10.9% higher (better) than the U.S. auto industry average for model year 2012[iv].
  • The fleet-wide average fuel economy[v] of Honda powerports products was improved 24% from the FY00 baseline.
• Administration
  • American Honda completed the installation of a one-megawatt fuel cell system at its Torrance, California campus, which is anticipated to reduce CO₂ emissions by an estimated 1,300 metric tons per year.
• Environmental Business Innovation
  • Honda entered into a unique partnership with solar installer SolarCity, establishing a $65 million fund to help homeowners and dealerships in the U.S. adopt solar power on more affordable terms.
  • Honda broke ground on the Honda Smart Home U.S. project in Davis, California, a project that will showcase environmental innovation and renewable energy-enabling technologies that demonstrate Honda’s vision for zero-carbon living.
• Global CO₂ Targets – In 2011, Honda introduced a global target of reducing CO₂emissions from the in-use stage of its automobile, motorcycle, and power equipment product lines by 30 percent by 2020 (compared to year 2000 levels).
  • In 2013, CO₂ emissions compared to FY00 baseline levels were reduced 15.2% for automobiles, 27.4% for motorcycles, and 14.7% for power equipment.

Additional information on Honda’s environmental performance outside of North America can be found in Honda Motor Company’s Environmental Report, with a focus on the company’s activities in Japan – available at world.honda.com (or by clicking here).

Honda Executive Quote “We have maintained a strong focus on the fuel efficiency of Honda and Acura products as the single most important step we can take to reduce our environmental impact,” said Tetsuo Iwamura, Chief Operating Officer of Honda North America, Inc. “Beyond the products themselves, we are aggressively seeking new ways of applying Honda innovation to realize our vision for a sustainable society and clean mobility. This report is an important part of our effort to be transparent in reporting on our environmental impact and our efforts to achieve Honda’s environmental vision.”

Honda Environmental Leadership Honda is a leader in the development of leading-edge technologies to improve fuel efficiency and reduce CO₂ emissions. Honda has led the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) rankings of overall vehicle environmental performance since 2000, and a Honda vehicle has topped the list of America’s greenest vehicles from the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) for eleven out of the past twelve years. The company leads all automakers with twelve LEED-Certified “Green Buildings” in North America, and is producing products in North America with virtually zero-waste to landfill. In 2006, Honda became the first automaker to announce voluntary CO₂ emissions reduction targets for its global fleet of automobile, power sports and power equipment products and its global network of manufacturing plants. In 2011, the company set a new CO₂ emissions reduction targets for 2020, including a 30% reduction in CO₂ emissions from its products compared with 2000 levels.

The ninth-generation Honda Accord was named as Green Car Journal’s 2013 Green Car of the Year® during the Los Angeles Auto Show. The ninth-generation Accord is the first vehicle to apply Honda Earth Dreams Technology powertrains, with highly efficient 4-cylinder and V-6 engines, a sporty new CVT transmission, and an all-new two-motor gas-electric hybrid system that powers both the Accord Hybrid and Accord Plug-In.  The Accord Sedan and Coupe with Earth Dreams Technology achieve both fun-to-drive performance and fuel efficiency at a very high level. The Accord Hybrid with Honda’s new iMMD two-motor hybrid system has a 50 mpg EPA city fuel-economy rating[vi], the highest city EPA fuel-economy rating of any 4-door sedan in America. The 2014 Accord Plug-In sedan has an EPA-rated 115 MPGe combined fuel-economy rating[vi] in electric-only mode, the highest EPA fuel-economy rating of any 5-passenger, 4-door sedan in America.