Kudos to Cummins. The engine maker recently announced its long-term commitment to sustainability. It says it is looking for a net-zero carbon future and has developed a new environmental sustainability strategy.
The company set goals for 2030 and announced a longer-term vision for 2050. Cummins outlined three priorities in its sustainability efforts:
- Addressing climate change and air emissions
- Using natural resources in the most sustainable way
- Improving communities
The company is backing up its commitment with some very specific goals that focus not only on improvements at its manufacturing facilities but also the products that come out of those facilities.
In a telephone press conference, Cummins CEO Tom Linebarger said, “Our products have a large environmental footprint. They contribute significantly to climate change and they contribute significantly to economic goals and strong communities.” He went on to say that the company has to find ways to reduce its environmental footprint while at the same time not hampering growth.
That is in alignment with NACFE’s goals. We want to see fleets become more fuel efficient while remaining profitable. Investing in technology that improves MPG only makes sense if there is a decent ROI. That is the basis of the Confidence Ratings NACFE gives to various technologies in its Confidence Reports. Technology that helps fleets get more miles from a gallon of fuel is not enough. That technology also has to economically viable.
We applaud Cummins for the steps it is taking toward environmental sustainability. Each of us in the trucking industry needs to do what we can to reduce waste in manufacturing and make products that reduce emissions and improve fuel economy.
Cummins is investing in developing technologies like electric powertrains and fuel cells but also will continue work to enhance the efficiency of diesel and natural gas engines as both will be around for some time to come. Thanks, Cummins for your leadership, we all took note.
