University recognized for transportation-related emissions reduction

UNC Charlotte has earned the inaugural Smart Fleet Champion Award from the N.C. Clean Energy Technology Center and the N.C. Department of Transportation.

The honor is the program’s highest level and is given in recognition of vehicle fleet efforts to reduce petroleum use and carbon dioxide and other “harmful” emissions. It was presented recently at the first Southeast Alternative Fuels Conference in Raleigh.

Chris Facente, automotive and motor fleet supervisor in the UNC Charlotte Facilities Management Department, in accepting the Smart Fleet Champion Award, said it “was achieved by the entire motor fleet team, especially Larry Lane, my predecessor, who started the initiative and Kathy Fisher, our administrative assistant, who compiled the information. Of the 18 recognized organizations, only four achieved champion status, and we are the only champion level in the Charlotte area.”

NCDOT chief deputy secretary Nick Tennyson stated, “The fast-growing UNC Charlotte campus has absorbed over 45 percent of the growth in the 17 campus University of North Carolina system, yet they continued to grow their alternative fuel vehicle fleet from 28 percent to 39 percent of their total vehicle fleet over the past three years.”