Ford Motor Co. is beginning to come around: It’s showing some signs of greening up. But is it really among the best (environmentally-speaking)  in the world? Either Ford is working secret eco-magic or CERES (Coalition for Environmentally Responsible Economies) is dreaming.

CERES defended its decision to award Ford the ‘Best in Sustinability Reporting’ for the second year in a row. To its credit, Ford was the first automaker to voluntarily join the Climate Registry. However, as great as reporting is, if you’re still reporting lame numbers, you really shouldn't be considered the leader in sustainability. Transparency is a solid step in the right direction and Ford deserves recognition for that, but CERES goes too far if they are talking about sustainability in a broad sense. Even if Ford’s business practices are greening, the company's product still spews carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

By fixing ancillary sustainability issues, Ford tries to duck the SUV in the room. Ford’s primary hybrid is an SUV, leaving it less fuel efficient than most normal compact sedans. So while Ford does very well reporting on their sustainability, they have little to report on. What good are soy foam seats if they are in an SUV? The benefit are lost to the harm done by emissions. If Ford is so serious about sustainability, they’ll change where it counts: On the production line.

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