Six Star Magazine Six Star Magazine Autumn 2007 | Page 34

ENVIRONMENT the subaru way S ome cars are built on an assembly line. Ours are built on a set of values. At Subaru, we believe that All-Wheel Drive is a better way to drive, so we make it standard. We believe in longevity, so 93% of our cars built in the last 10 years are still on the road today.* We believe in the highest levels of safety and, therefore, achieve top crash-test ratings across our entire lineup. We also believe in the environment, so every Subaru built in North America begins life in a plant with zero-landfill status – and nearly everything in the manufacturing process is recycled. (For more on the Subaru of Indiana factory, check out the article entitled, “Subaru of Indiana Automotive: green inside and out”) Subaru comes by these core values naturally. Our parent company, Fuji Heavy Industries (FHI), is a strong believer in “kaizen” – or continuous improvement – in all aspects of business. In addition to continually finding ways to improve Subaru vehicles, FHI is also reducing their impact on the environment at each stage of operation – from product development through manufacturing, usage and disposal. Examples of these efforts include reducing carbon dioxide emissions through energy-conservation programs, introducing alternative sources of power such as wind turbine electric power generating systems, and developing environmentally-friendly engine and battery technologies for production-based vehicles. These initiatives and our strong set of values resonate with both customers and corporate partners alike. “Perfect balance is the key,” says Katsuhiro Yokoyama, President & CEO of Subaru Canada, Inc. “Everybody wants safe, efficient and fun to drive vehicles that have excellent value and minimal overall impact on the environment. This is the Subaru way. In fact, it’s what makes a Subaru, a Subaru!” *Total Vehicles In Operation Report 1997-2006 - R.L. Polk & Co. and internal sales data. interface with subaru: a lean, green partnership I nterface is a world leader in the commercial interiors industry and an organization that takes their environmental impact very seriously. They produce environmentally-responsible floor coverings and other textiles that make their competitors turn green – with envy. The company recently established their Mission Zero™ promise, “To eliminate any negative impact that the Interface companies have on the environment by 2020.” Their aim is to show the industrial world what sustainability looks like in many aspects – people, process, product, place and profits. In October 2006, Interface decided to partner with a like-minded automobile manufacturer that would provide vehicles for their sales associates. They chose Subaru over all other manufacturers, including those that produce hybrid vehicles, for a number of key reasons. First, the addition of the Subaru Outback Limited 2.5i to their fleet has allowed Interface to fulfill a commitment to make its U.S. light duty fleet 100% SmartWay™ certified. The SmartWay™ certification is earned by those light-duty vehicles that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) considers to be the cleanest and most fuel-efficient vehicles available when evaluating both air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. The Subaru Outback was the highest-rated small SUV in the EPA’s Green Vehicle Guide. “We chose the Outback because it is a partial zero emissions vehicle (PZEV) that meets the nation’s most stringent standards for GHG (greenhouse gases) emissions,” said Tim Riordan, 34 Vice President, supply chain for Interface, Inc. “Additionally, Subaru was the only automobile manufacturer that would guarantee delivery of PZEV vehicles in any state.” (Subaru is also currently investigating ways to bring these more eco-friendly vehicles to the Canadian market). Vehicles earning the PZEV emission rating are 90% cleanerrunning than the average new vehicle. In fact, all of Subaru PZEV vehicles meet California’s more stringent SULEV (Super-Ultra-LowEmission Vehicle) exhaust emission standard for 15 years/150,000 miles, as well as its zero-evaporative-emission standard. According to Riordan, his company also chose the Outback “because it has earned NHTSA’s 5-star crash test rating.” This rating is the result of Subaru’s advanced passive safety features, such as the super-strong ring-shaped reinforcement frame. To top it all off, the Outback also boasted greater interior space than the typical environmentally-friendly vehicle. Over and above these specific criteria, Interface picked Subaru because they wanted a partner in creating immediate and measurable benefits by reducing overall greenhouse gas emissions. Therefore, together, the two companies created the “climate-neutral” incentive for Interface associates who choose to drive Subaru vehicles. As part of this incentive, Subaru will sponsor the planting of thousands of trees through American Forests’ Global ReLeaf program, making the operation of these vehicles climate-neutral for the first 60,000 miles – and equating to the sequestration of 21.6 metric tons of carbon per ve