General Motors taps Dell sustainability head to become new CSO

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🗞️ Driving the news: General Motors has appointed Cassandra Garber as its new Chief Sustainability Officer (CSO), effective April 22 — Earth Day
• Garber, who previously served as CSO at Dell Technologies, will lead GM’s environmental, social, and governance (ESG) strategy
• Her appointment comes after the retirement of Kristen Siemen, who helped shape GM’s ambitious climate targets over nearly three decades with the company

🔭 The context: Garber joins GM as it accelerates efforts to meet its carbon neutrality goals, including net-zero emissions by 2040 and full renewable electricity use in the U.S. by 2025
• With prior leadership roles at Dell, 3M, McKesson, and Coca-Cola, Garber brings deep expertise in corporate sustainability and social innovation
• Her move to GM (see sustainability performance) reflects a growing trend of cross-sector leadership in ESG, bridging the tech and automotive sectors

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: GM’s transition to zero-emissions vehicles and a circular economy hinges on strong ESG leadership
• Garber’s track record in scaling sustainability programs will be pivotal in aligning GM’s operations with global climate targets
• Her role will influence not only GM’s decarbonisation strategy but also industry standards in sustainable manufacturing and responsible supply chains

⏭️ What's next: Garber is expected to lead the next phase of GM’s climate action, including expanding electric vehicle production, deepening supply chain transparency, and hitting emissions targets across scopes 1, 2, and 3
• She will also likely play a public role in stakeholder engagement amid increasing regulatory and investor scrutiny of automotive ESG performance

💬 One quote: “Sustainable business is smart business… when done well, it’s transformative for both business and our world.” — Cassandra Garber, incoming CSO of GM

📈 One stat: GM aims to reduce Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 72% by 2035 and Scope 3 emissions from product use by 51% per vehicle kilometer, both from a 2018 baseline

See on illuminem's Data Hub™ the sustainability performance of General Motors and its peers Ford, and Stellantis 

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