JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — CSX Corp. said its continued participation in Environmental Defense Fund’s (EDF) Climate Corps for 2011. EDF Climate Corps places top MBA students in companies to develop practical, actionable energy efficiency plans that cut costs and greenhouse gas emissions.
As a result of its participation in the program last year, CSX and the company’s fellow identified savings of more than $160,000, 1.5 million kWh of electricity (enough to power 140 homes), and 940 metric tons of CO2 (equivalent to removing 150 SUVs from the road) annually.
“CSX’s commitment to the environment has enabled the company to drive great results for the planet and our bottom line,” said Carl Gerhardstein, assistant vice president, environmental systems and sustainability, CSX. “We are constantly seeking ways to improve energy efficiency across our network, and we look forward to continuing our work with EDF to identify additional improvements.”
CSX has a long-standing commitment to air quality and energy efficiency. The railroad was the first transportation company to set its own goal to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions through a partnership with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. CSX committed to reducing its carbon dioxide intensity eight percent by 2011. As part of this effort, CSX has deployed fuel-efficient and environmentally friendly “GenSet” locomotives in rail yards across its network. Over the last decade, CSX invested more than $1.5 billion to upgrade its locomotive fleet with technology that reduces fuel consumption and air emissions. Through all of these efforts, the company has improved its fuel efficiency by more than 90 percent since 1980.
“We are pleased that CSX will continue to participate in EDF Climate Corps,” said Rachel Hinchliffe, Project Manager for Corporate Partnerships, EDF. “EDF’s goal is to challenge both companies and fellows to identify environmental innovations and best practices that protect the environment and make business sense.”
