In an unprecedented move in the automotive industry, Chevrolet is about to wear its green heart on its sleeve by putting environmental impact labels on all of its vehicles starting with the 2012 Chevy Sonic and continuing through their full line of 2013 models. The new Ecologic labels will provide information for customers on the vehicles’ green features – including their environmental impact related to emissions from manufacturing facilities, waste reduction, fuel-saving technologies, and use of alternative energy sources. In order to make sure the stickers are true to the reality of Chevy’s green initiatives they are having them audited by the third party company Two Tomorrows.

“Customers want companies to be honest and transparent about their environmental efforts and sustainability goals, and rightly so,” said General Motors North America President Mark Reuss. “Putting an Ecologic label on each Chevrolet is just one more way for us to share our environmental progress.” Though the Ecologic program will be introduced on 2013 models, those models will be on the showroom floor before the end of 2012 with stickers ablaze on the rear windows for all vehicle shoppers to see. The stickers will have three eco-sections, one called Before the Road covering manufacturing and development, one called On the Road about how green the vehicle is when it is in your hands and one called After the Road about the possibilities of recycling and reuse of the car and its parts after it leaves your hands — apparently 85% of their weight is completely recyclable.
Two Tomorrows is an independent agency that helps corporations with their sustainability initiatives. Having an independent party get involved with verifying that these stickers are speaking the truth gives us assurance that Chevy isn’t just trying to paint all their vehicles green to make them look more attractive to consumers. This really is a move by one of America’s largest vehicle manufacturers to show the world that they are committed to reducing their total impact with each vehicle sold. In addition to showing their green credentials the stickers will educate consumers about the life-cycle of vehicles, and that buying a green car isn’t just about good gas mileage, it is about how it is built, how it drives and where it will end up once it isn’t road worthy anymore.