GM names new chief sustainability officer

Detroit — Dane Parker, General Motors Co.'s first chief sustainability officer, is retiring in May after accelerating the automaker's sustainability plans by 15 years, GM said Thursday. 

Kristen Siemen, currently the executive director of global energy strategy, certification & compliance, and test labs at GM, has been named vice president of sustainable workplaces and chief sustainability officer, replacing Parker.

Siemen has worked closely with Parker to set "science-based targets for a net-zero carbon future and led a cross-functional leadership team responsible for setting corporate energy strategies," GM said in a press release. 

Parker has been with GM for six years. He was named chief sustainability officer, a newly created title, early last year. The position expanded his role as vice president of sustainable workplaces and made him the leader of the company's sustainability strategy, including electric vehicles.

Parker pushed GM’s renewable energy goals up by 15 years, GM said, and signed the Business Ambition Pledge for 1.5 degrees Celsius, signaling an intent to meet the most ambitious goals of the Paris Agreement to limit global warming to below 2 degrees Celsius.

Parker was recently behind GM’s plan to become carbon neutral by 2040 and its aspiration to have zero-emissions in all new light-duty vehicles by 2035. He also led major construction projects and modernized GM’s office space to enable collaborative work.

khall@detroitnews.com

Twitter: @bykaleahall