Ford Joins Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance
Photo: Ford
Ford this week became the first automaker in the United States to sign on with the Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance. Joining IRMA reinforces Ford’s push to prioritize human rights and environmental causes all throughout its supply chain.
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In its 2020 Sustainability Report released last year, Ford pledged to responsibly source all raw materials used in vehicle manufacturing. Ford is also pushing to become fully carbon neutral by 2050, taking steps like only using recycled and renewable plastics and using 100 percent locally sourced renewable energy in all manufacturing by 2035.
“Everything we make and everything that goes into our products throughout the supply chain must not only comply with local laws, but follow our commitment to sustainability and human rights protection,” said Sue Slaughter, Ford’s purchasing director for supply chain sustainability. “Joining IRMA helps us and other companies consistently achieve that goal by forwarding best practices to address environmental, social, and governance issues.”
IRMA was established to provide independent third-party verification of industrial mining sites to ensure compliance with human rights standards. The organization uses an established Standard for Responsible Mining, authored more than a decade ago with the input of more than 100 stakeholder groups.
Joining IRMA is just the latest groundbreaking step Ford has taken with respect to material sourcing. Last year, Ford became the first automaker to partner with The Copper Mark, which monitors sourcing practices for the copper industry. In addition to human rights, The Copper Mark considers factors like labor practices and environmental impact in everything from mining to refinement.
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Kyle S. Johnson lives in Cincinnati, a city known by many as “the Cincinnati of Southwest Ohio.” He enjoys professional wrestling, Halloween, and also other things. He has been writing for a while, and he plans to continue to write well into the future. See more articles by Kyle.