RICHMOND, Va. — Estes Express has partnered with climate software company Watershed to assess and set benchmarks against its sustainability program.
According to a news release, “The initial phase of Estes’ work with Watershed will be to complete its first-ever carbon footprint. Estes will use its 2023 footprint as a baseline to begin analyzing its emissions data and identify emissions hot spots.”
This foundation will inform new reduction targets to guide Estes’ sustainability efforts, Estes officials said.
“The core of our mission is to always be improving Estes for today and the future — and this venture does just that,” said Sara Graf, Estes’ vice president of sustainability, culture and communications at Estes. “We’re eager to see how Watershed quantifies the work we’ve already done in this space and helps us identify additional ways to manage our carbon output more effectively.”
Some of Estes’ recent sustainability initiatives include expanding its electric-vehicle fleet of 12 electric trailers and nearly 300 zero-emission forklifts, along with retrofitting select terminals with solar panels, which are expected to generate approximately 1,667,000 kilowatt hours annually, offsetting approximately 1,180 metric tons of carbon dioxide, the news release notes.
“Watershed will give us an enterprise-wide look at our energy expenses — from our fleet to our facilities,” Graf added. “Better understanding these figures will help Estes be more sustainable in the future, both from an environmental and financial perspective.”
Watershed customers leverage the platform’s intelligent analytics and industry-leading carbon data to measure, report and reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.
Born and raised in Little Rock, AR, Erica N. Guy decided to stay in her hometown to begin her professional career in journalism. Since obtaining her bachelor’s degree from UAPB, Erica has professionally written for several publications about several topics ranging from lifestyle, tech, culture, and entertainment, just to name a few. Continuing her love for her hometown, she joined our team in June 2023, where she is currently a staff writer. Her career goals include continuing storytelling through her writing by being the best professional writer she can be. In her spare time, Erica enjoys trying new foods, cozying up with a good book, spending time with family and friends, and establishing herself as a future businesswoman.
