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,

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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