Responsible Purchasing News
RPN Members now have access to the webinar slides and recording, which featured useful strategies on how to cut greenhouse gas emissions through purchasing. 
More
The City of Portland pursues a low-car diet for the general public through initiatives to expand Zipcar service. More
105 alternative-fuel vehicles and other energy savings measures helped AT&T make big emission cuts in 2008. More
New York City, Indianapolis and London are among cities adding hybrid vehicles to their police fleets. More
RPN member, Snohomish County, is moving ahead with an ambitious plan to "homebrew" its own fuel, by drying, storing, and crushing canola seed to produce biodiesel. More
Louisville's Transit Authority of River City (TARC) plans to use funds from the federal stimulus package to make its bus fleet greener while creating jobs. More
By 2019, AT&T is planning to add 15,000 alternative-fuel vehicles to its corporate fleet. The company intends to invest $565 million toward this goal. More
Our Responsible Purchasing Guides have been updated to include descriptions and downloads of the EPA's Comprehensive Procurement Guidelines (CPG) and California's State Agency Buy Recycled Campaign (SABRC). More
Enterprise Rent-A-Car is adding about 5,000 hybrids to its nationwide fleet and designating almost 80 rental locations across the country as "hybrid branches." More
Eleven Northeastern states are developing a regional Low Carbon Fuel Standard to reduce the carbon concentration in fuels. More
Visit our booth at EcoBuild Fall 2008 in Washington, DC. RPN members receive free exhibit hall passes and discount conference registration. More
Success! Having published the Responsible Purchasing Guide to Wheel Weights earlier this year, we are very excited to announce that California now plans to phase out lead-wheel weights by the end of 2009, in favor of environmentally preferable alternatives made from steel or zinc alloy. More
Both state and local governments in Minnesota are phasing out lead in wheel weights, switching to environmentally preferable alternatives. More
Toyota plans to install solar panels on the roof of the third generation Prius cars early next year to power the cars' air conditioning units. More
The Hybrid Electric Vehicle Calculator is now updated with 2008 model year vehicles and new emissions factors. Use it to compare operating costs and emissions of hybrid and conventional vehicles. More
New York City’s newer hybrid buses are cheaper to operate, costing 40 percent less to maintain and 24 percent less to operate than previous hybrids. More
NYC and Seattle/King County are adding hybrids vehicles and using plug-in technology to boost their hybrid fleets. More
Toyota President Katsuaki Watanabe announced that the company plans to offer a hybrid model in every vehicle series and continue its development of PHEVs and cellulosic ethanol. More
RPN is happy to announce we have made considerable updates to the product listings for several Responsible Purchasing Guides. These changes include new search criteria, updated listings, expanded EPEAT and Energy Star information, and for the Fleet Guide; More
The Southeast Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) Board approved the purchase of 400 new diesel-electric hybrid buses. Adding the new buses will make SEPTA one of the largest public transit hybrid bus fleets in the country. More
RPN members, the City of Seattle, King County, and other local Washington agencies will participate in a yearlong demonstration project testing the performance of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles in an urban area. More
The City of San Jose, CA, an RPN Member and the 10th largest city in the U.S., has just released an ambitious new policy for greening its vehicle fleet. The policy cover More
On August 21, RPN hosted a national webcast on greenhouse gas management by fleets. Presentations covered ways in which fuel economy, fleet management, and procurement can reduce emissions, improve energy security, and save money. More
Ford and U-Haul are putting on the road the industry's first fleet of vehicles painted with Ford's environmentally responsible new technology, which reduces greenhouse gases by 15 percent and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) by about 10 perc More
Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) and the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) just released a comprehensive report on plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs). More
The U.S. Conference of Mayors just released a survey highlighting proactive steps U.S. mayors are taking to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The 130 cities surveyed are pursuing a multitude of actions aimed at conserving energy, using energy more ef More
The City of Las Vegas, Nevada has reduced NOx emissions from its diesel-powered fleet vehicles by eighteen percent through continued use of an advanced fuel additive. More
The City of Portland, Oregon, a member of RPN and longtime environmental leader, released case studies that demonstrate the feasibility and cost-effectiveness of responsible purchasing. More
Mayor Bloomberg announced new emissions and mileage standards for yellow taxicabs that will lead to a fully hybrid fleet by 2012. More
Building on its leadership, King County, Washington announced a new contract for the purchase of up to 500 new articulated hybrid buses. More
A recent study published by an atmospheric scientist at Stanford University used a sophisticated computer model to predict the air quality impacts of ethanol-fueled vehicles. The Stanford study concluded that ethanol poses a significant public health thre More
On March 22, 2007, the President of the University of California System issued an updated policy on sustainable practices and purchasing. The new policy covers Building Renovations, Climate Protection Practices, Sustainable Operations, Recycling and Waste More
Roche announced today that the number of hybrid vehicles in its pharmaceutical sales fleet has expanded to a total of 242 vehicles as of the end of 2006. More
America could save nearly one billion gallons of fuel annually by adopting new aerodynamic technologies on tractor- trailer trucks, according to a two-year collaborative study conducted by four members of the Truck Manufacturers Association (TMA) and the More
