EPA’s SmartWay Transport Partnership has been a powerful tool for encouraging operators to improve fuel efficiency and reduce emissions.
We all know that the Environmental Protection Agency works to make the freight industry more sustainable, but they can’t do it all on their own- partnerships and outreach to industry are key in achieving these goals. So who else is involved in the push for freight transportation efficiency?
Initiated in 2003, the Environmental Protection Agency’s SmartWay Transport Partnership has been one of the agency’s most powerful tools for encouraging freight transportation operators to improve their fuel efficiency and reduce emissions. Since 2004, SmartWay Partners have saved a reported $24.9 billion in fuel costs and eliminated 72.8 million metric tons of CO2 emissions, 1.5 million tons of NOx emissions, and 59,000 tons of PM emissions.
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One reason for the success of the SmartWay program, is that it provides a framework for EPA to work with a variety of companies involved at different points in the freight transport supply chain to advance fuel efficient technologies and practices. By working directly with companies to improve supply chain efficiency, this partnership not only helps these companies to decrease their environmental impact, but also allows them to save on fuel and shipping costs.
Maximizing the impact of the SmartWay program requires reaching as many freight transport operators as possible, which means that outreach and promotion are crucial. For this reason, EPA encourages organizations to participate in the program as a SmartWay Affiliate by promoting SmartWay through PR and marketing initiatives, acknowledging and promoting the need for a more sustainable freight industry, and encouraging their customers and members to join the SmartWay Transportation Partnership. As longtime collaborators with EPA and supporters of the SmartWay program, Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) is proud to announce our selection as a 2016 SmartWay Affiliate Challenge Honoree.
A range of organizations participate in the SmartWay Affiliate Program, and honorees for 2016 represent 3 percent of the total affiliate membership. In addition to EDF, 2016 SmartWay Affiliate Challenge honorees include: American Trucking Associations, North Central Texas Council of Governments, Penske Truck Leasing, Retail Industry Leaders Association and Wisconsin Clean Cities.
To learn more about the SmartWay affiliate program, check out this link.
Image credit: Flickr/TruckPR