ABBOTT PARK, IL – Abbott, one of the world’s leading healthcare companies, is now participating in the PHH GreenFleet pilot program, which is designed to improve vehicle efficiency and reduce fuel consumption among commercial fleets. Reducing emissions from its vehicle fleet will help Abbott meet its corporate goal of reducing operational greenhouse gas emissions to 10 percent below its 2004 levels by 2010.

Abbott is the first company to sign on to this program, which was developed jointly by PHH Arval and Environmental Defense to reduce pollution among the approximately 9 million U.S. vehicles registered to commercial vehicle fleets. Fleet vehicles are driven an average of 25,000 miles per year — nearly double the mileage, fuel consumption, and corresponding emissions of personal vehicles. As a result, fleet vehicles are major consumers of oil and gasoline and sources of air pollution. Through the PHH GreenFleet program, Abbott has found an innovative way to reduce the environmental impact of its fleet.

As part of the PHH GreenFleet pilot program, Abbott established a greenhouse gas baseline and incorporated more efficient vehicles into the fleet. In order to encourage drivers to choose more environmentally friendly vehicles, Abbott offered upgrade incentives, such as satellite radios and sunroofs, and clearly communicated with drivers about the environmental impacts of their choices. As a result, in the most recent fleet selection, 20 percent of drivers chose more fuel-efficient vehicles, improving the Abbott fleet’s average fuel economy, reducing average per vehicle greenhouse gas emissions, and decreasing projected per vehicle operating costs.

The PHH GreenFleet program is designed to help companies cost-effectively measure, reduce, and offset their greenhouse gas emissions. Participation includes in-depth analysis and recommendations to improve efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions; quarterly measurement and reporting of emissions; and resources to offset remaining emissions.