For Immediate Release: Wednesday, August 21, 2013
All of GM’s Canadian Plants Meet EPA ENERGY STAR®
Challenge
Contribute to GM’s energy cost savings of $162 million USD;
1.6 million tons of CO2 emissions avoided
OSHAWA, Ontario – All of General Motors’ Canadian plants are part of 63 global facilities to
meet a voluntary energy-reduction challenge set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
CAMI Assembly, Oshawa Assembly and St. Catharines Powertrain each reduced its energy
intensity between 11 and 20 per cent in less than three years to meet the EPA’s ENERGY
STAR® Challenge for Industry. This is the second year in row that the Canadian plants have
achieved this recognition for energy efficiency.
To meet the ENERGY STAR Challenge for Industry, manufacturing facilities need to reduce
energy used per unit of production by at least 10 percent within five years.
 CAMI Assembly’s reduction avoided 13,958 tons of CO2 from entering the atmosphere
 St. Catharine Powertrains’ reduction avoided 9,838 tons of CO2 from entering the
atmosphere
 Oshawa Assembly’s reduction avoided 43,493 tons of CO2 from entering the
atmosphere
“Creativity and energy management go hand-in-hand at GM,” said Tim Lee, executive vice
president of Global Manufacturing. “We’ve been consistently cutting energy use and emissions
each year. Environmental responsibility – and its corresponding business benefits – continues
to be an everyday driver within our facilities.”
Total companywide savings in energy costs through the Challenge for Industry total $162 million
(USD). GM’s Canadian plants avoided more than $12.3 million (USD) in energy costs annually
through its efforts. GM leads all companies worldwide in meeting the challenge.
To achieve the Energy Star recognition in 2013, the Canadian facilities took a number of actions
such as:
 Converting various areas to LED lighting
 Retrofitting old fluorescent lights into more energy efficient options
 Upgrading various motors and drives on equipment to be more efficient
All of the Canadian facilities have a strong energy saving culture and the teams actively turn off
all unnecessary equipment before weekends and plant scheduled shutdown. The plants also
actively monitor the production schedule to isolate equipment when not required and continue to
implement various smaller initiatives as they are identified.
In March of 2013, GM received an ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year-Sustained Excellence
award – the program’s highest recognition for corporate energy management. Between 2005
and 2010, the company reduced energy use in its global facilities by 28 percent and has since
set a goal to reduce energy intensity globally 20 percent by 2020.
For more information on GM’s environmental commitment, visit its sustainability report and
environmental blog.
General Motors Co. (NYSE:GM, TSX: GMM) and its partners produce vehicles in 30 countries, and the
company has leadership positions in the world's largest and fastest-growing automotive markets. GM’s
brands include Chevrolet and Cadillac, as well as Baojun, Buick, GMC, Holden, Isuzu, Jiefang, Opel,
Vauxhall and Wuling. More information on the company and its subsidiaries, including OnStar, a global
leader in vehicle safety, security and information services, can be found at http://www.gm.com.
ENERGY STAR was introduced by EPA in 1992 as a voluntary, market-based partnership to
reduce greenhouse gas emissions through energy efficiency. Today, the ENERGY STAR label
can be found on more than 60 products as well as new homes and commercial and industrial
buildings that meet strict energy-efficiency specifications set by the EPA. Last year alone,
Americans, with the help of ENERGY STAR, saved $18 billion on their energy bills while
reducing the greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those of 34 million vehicles.
About General Motors in Canada
Headquartered in Oshawa, Ontario, General Motors of Canada Limited (GMCL) employs more
than 9,000 people across the country and is a recognized leader in green manufacturing.
GMCL markets the full range of fuel-efficient Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac vehicles and
related services through Canada's largest automotive dealer network. More information
regarding GMCL models can be found at www.gm.ca, or by following @GMCanada on Twitter.
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