Personal communication from Ford on the CEI controversy

Adam Stein | May 19, 2006

[Ed. note: Niel Golightly, Ford’s Director of Sustainable Business Strategies, sent us the following note and gave us permission to print it. We know Niel well. He was one of the prime movers on the Ford-TerraPass partnership. We’ve made our own feelings about Ford’s relationship with CEI known, so we pass this along without comment.

We also know that this controversy has provoked some serious debate within Ford. Niel has promised that if there’s any more news, he’ll let us know.]

I just viewed the CEI ads yesterday, and I can definitely see what the fuss is about. “CO2 is life”?! Criminy, even we liberal arts majors know that’s bogus.

I think the debate these ads are trying to provoke was settled years ago. As for the business world, smart companies are way past wondering what climate change is all about and have moved on to thinking about solutions. Major players like GE, DuPont, Shell, BP, Duke Energy, Goldman Sachs and many others including, yes, Ford Motor Company, are feverishly working on what it will take to be compeitive in a carbon-constrained economy. And they know the day is coming when customers will reject brands that aren’t part of solving the problem. That’s why they’re pouring money into products, technologies, marketing strategies, investment plans and policies that will move the needle on greenhouse gas emissions.

For the record, Ford did NOT fund these ads. More importantly, we most definitely do NOT agree with their content. We’ve made our position on climate change clear for years. If you want to know what Ford really thinks about climate change, check out our (industry first) report on climate change at www.ford.com/go/sustainability.

Personally, I have seen Al Gore deliver the talk on which “An Inconvient Truth” is based, and I can tell you that it is a powerful statement. I know that it’s certainly stirred a lot of thought in the places I go.

Niel Golightly
Director, Sustainable Business Strategies
Ford Motor Company

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Comments

1. By sean coon on May 19, 2006 1:37 PM

if ford is in bed with this group, how can he vociferously claim that they did not fund the spot?

ford's partnership with you guys will undoubtedly be viewed as a stunt if they don't renounce their relationships with groups like this... and soon.

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2. By Anonymous on May 22, 2006 10:27 AM

Agreed. This is meaningless if Ford doesn't sever ties with CEI. Funding such an organization is essentially shooting themselves in the foot if they really intend to fight global warming.

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3. By Anonymous on May 24, 2006 10:24 AM

I will third the sentiments expressed above. If an organization that I personally funded came out with a statement like this, I would revoke my membership immediately and with much fanfare. CEI's advertisement seeks to turn minds into mashed potatoes and the earth into a world of only fire and ice. This is dangerous stuff. So, if Terrapass partners with Ford and Ford supports CEI, who's shooting who in the foot again?

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4. By Anonymous on May 24, 2006 11:13 AM

Ed. note: criticism of TerraPass on the blog is fine, but posting the same comment in several places is not. We've deleted the redundant comments.

My wife and I each drive (when we have to) a Prius hybrid and we live in a net zero energy home powered by the sun.

I've purchased a TerraPass and had begun promoting it to many others....until I saw that Ford is involved. I think Ford is a major greenwasher and their support of CEI is enough proof for me. Not only will I never buy a Ford, I will no longer support TerraPass either.

Nice idea guys, but you got in bed with the wrong folks. The corporatocracy is only interested in profit, not healing the environment.

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5. By Adam on May 25, 2006 5:40 AM

Obviously the previous comment is very painful for us to read. We certainly understand your disappointment, because we share it. We're actually still hoping for progress on the CEI issue, but big companies move very slowly, and this past week has been fairly excrutiating for us.

I hope that we are able to regain your trust. We will certainly continue to voice our disapproval of Ford's actions in the strongest possible terms, and press our partner to take the necessary corrective action.

We see this sort of engagement as the best approach to bringing about meaningful change in large corporations, but those corporations have to be sincere about wanting to change.

It is entirely justifiable to question Ford's environmental sincerity at a moment like this. We happen to know that many at Ford are as outraged and surprised by these events as we are, which is why our hope, though damaged, remains strong.

There is a strong tendency to view corporations as monoliths. This tendency is largely the fault of those corporations; they try to present themselves as monoliths, with a single voice on all issues. And when they behave in strange or seemingly contradictory ways, it is natural to assume that some underlying agenda is driving those behaviors.

The truth is more prosaic, and more hopeful. Turning a large ship takes time. If we can exert a little pressure ourselves, hopefully we can have a meaningful impact.

David Roberts make this point better than I do. Thanks for listening to my thoughts.

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6. By Richard Frank on May 25, 2006 7:45 AM

I'm glad to see this letter. I've been a loyal Ford owner for years, my newest ride is the Escape Hybrid.

I do wish that Ford would do more to sever ties with all of of these bogus think tanks, but I also wish success to Ford, and their workers.

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7. By Rob on May 31, 2006 8:13 AM

I went through the process of checking up on this, and I found a report that CEI submitted to Philip Morris stating, unequivocally, that Ford DID fund CEI.

So what is Niel saying? I've met Niel - I like the guy - but I really, really wonder if he's getting the run-around inside his company.

No more Tauruses for this guy. (And it's my sign and everything!)

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8. By Adam on May 31, 2006 8:29 AM

Niel knows that Ford funds CEI. The distinction he is trying to make is that, although Ford has given money to CEI for certain types of work, Ford did not specifically give money towards these ads.

No one, including us, is impressed with this line of defense.

For what it's worth, Ford's official stance on climate change runs strongly counter to these ads. We continue to be deeply disappointed by Ford's response, and we're still hoping for something stronger.

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9. By John Gall on August 25, 2007 9:38 AM

Despite the spin that Neil seems to put on this i'd like to commend him for allowing his comments and explanation to be posted here for discussion.

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