10.18.2005 ET

(CSRwire) DEARBORN, Mich. - Ford Motor Company continues its commitment to address the company's social, economic and environmental performance by releasing its 2005 Sustainability Report. The report also provides insight into the company's challenges and successes.

Since 2000, Ford has issued a Corporate Citizenship Report to address the company's initiatives regarding social, economic and environmental concerns. As industry, business environment and social expectations continue to evolve, so does the report. It has been renamed the Sustainability Report to better reflect its emphasis on the business case for its approach to environmental and social issues. It is tightly focused on the company's most material issues, and on Ford's overall vision, strategy, challenges and opportunities.

"The term 'corporate citizenship' is still largely associated with corporate philanthropy or image building. While those things are important, sustainability goes further. It calls for better managing of environmental resources and social capital - along with economic capital - to create a stronger, more profitable business," said Niel Golightly, director, Sustainable Business Strategies, Ford Motor Company. "In this report, we have stated not only our sustainability accomplishments, but our challenges."

To advise on the report's thoroughness and transparency and to monitor expectations, Ford established a Report Review Committee made up of 13 external stakeholders to participate in the development of the report. Committee members represented human rights, environment, investor, safety and academic communities. The report is also based on Global Reporting Initiatives (GRI) - globally applicable sustainability reporting guidelines.

"Ford has benefited greatly from open and honest dialogue with shareholders, environmentalists and other key stakeholders on pressing sustainability issues such as global climate change," said Debra Hall, director of the corporate accountability program at Ceres and chair of the report review committee. "In rich and probing conversations that reflected diverse views, Ford and the report committee took stakeholder engagement to a new level, resulting in a bold sustainability report that solidly documents past performances and the challenges that lie ahead." Ceres is a coalition of investors, environmental groups and other public interest organizations working with companies on sustainable business practices.

Based on an analysis of the most significant concerns, the report focuses on Mobility, Climate Change and Human Rights concerns. Commentary from several internal and external experts can be found throughout the pages sharing deeper looks at specific issues.

Ford's Sustainability Report lays out Ford's vision for sustainability and the business case for pursuing a sustainable agenda. Through sustainability driven innovation, the company intends to strengthen return on capital by developing products, services and technologies that anticipate the impending shifts in what the 21st-century customers around the world want, need and expect. For the first time, the report includes a letter from the company's president and chief operating officer reflecting a commitment to integrate sustainability issues into Ford's operations.

The 2005 printed report covers issues and programs from 2004 and early 2005 and has approximately 50 percent fewer pages than the 2004 report. Ford's full Web report, available at the end of the month at www.ford.com/go/sustainability, provides additional data and information on social, environmental and economic management and performance. A separate report examining the business implications of climate change issues will be published in December.

To view a copy of the printed Sustainability Report go to http://www.ford.com/go/sustainability.

Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures and distributes automobiles in 200 markets across six continents. With nearly 325,000 employees and 110 plants worldwide, the company's core and affiliated automotive brands include Aston Martin, Ford, Jaguar, Land Rover, Lincoln, Mazda, Mercury and Volvo. Its automotive-related services include Ford Motor Credit Company and Hertz. For more information regarding Ford's products, please visit www.fordvehicles.org.

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