Over the past decade, FedEx reports saving more than 158 million gallons of vehicle fuel. This has been achieved by reducing usage through efficiencies, replacing vehicles with more efficient models, and increasing the company’s use of electric vehicles, fuel cells, natural gas, hybrids, and clean truck technologies.

“We want to reduce or eliminate impacts from our operations or activities. That’s first and foremost,” says Mitch Jackson, vice president of environmental affairs and chief sustainability officer at FedEx. He oversees sustainability strategy at the corporate level for the company’s enterprises, including the large express, freight, and ground divisions.

Jackson will be speaking about the company’s approach to sustainability at the Environmental Leader & Energy Manager Conference in Denver next month. Recently we caught up with him to find out how FedEx fosters new technologies for benefits that go beyond fuel savings.

What is FedEx’s approach to sustainability?

Our philosophy is practical sustainability — strategic and transformational stewardship that adds tangible value to our organization and other stakeholders. The strategy we’re implementing we refer to as ‘reduce, replace, revolutionize.’

We typically focus on vehicles, aircraft, aviation facilities, and paper. Aviation is our biggest environmental impact. We have a program called Fuel Sense to minimize the amount of fuel and energy used in our aviation operations. This includes over 50 initiatives we undertake each day we’re flying.

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