Ford Motor Company will conduct an environmental impact assessment that will detail the impact of its products and manufacturing facilities on greenhouse gas emissions, the automobile maker said March 31. The decision follows years of negotiations with activist shareholders who have been encouraging Ford to develop more environmentally friendly products and policies.

The report is expected be issued by the end of the year and will be drafted in consultation with a wide variety of climate change and policy experts as well as with the Boston-based Ceres, a coalition of investors and environmental groups and founder of the Investor Network on Climate Risk (INCR). The report will include an analysis of climate change issues, including the potential impact of policy and regulatory alternatives on the business climate and advanced innovations and technological developments.

Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2005