US: Diageo looks to ‘green-up’ US freight operations

Diageo has joined an environmental partnership in the US.

The drinks giant's North American confirmed yesterday (18 March) that it has joined the SmartWay Transport Partnership, a voluntary collaboration between US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the freight industry, designed to increase energy efficiency while reducing greenhouse gases and air pollution.

Diageo NA said it will contribute to the Partnership's goal to reduce 33m to 66m metric tons of carbon dioxide and up to 200,000 tons of nitrogen oxide per year by 2012 by improving the environmental performance of its freight operations.

"We are focused on reducing our impact to the environment and joining SmartWay is a natural step forward in this direction," said Erik Snyder, VP of logistics at Diageo NA. "Diageo continues to focus on reducing emissions and in the past year we have reduced transportation emissions by 12%.

"As part of our awards to our carrier base we will be adding an environmental award in 2009, fittingly this will be called the Johnnie Walker Green award."

Launched in February 2004, the SmartWay partnership was designed to bring together major freight shippers, trucking companies, railroads, and logistics companies in the US to pursue mutually beneficial efficiencies that result in emissions reductions and other environmental improvements, as well as cost savings to the companies.