ATLANTA– UPS has joined the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Climate Leaders program. UPS is the first shipping company to join the program.

Climate Leaders is an industry/government partnership that works with companies to develop comprehensive climate change strategies. Partner companies commit to reducing their impact on the global environment by completing a corporate-wide inventory of greenhouse gas emissions, setting aggressive reduction goals, and annually reporting their progress to the EPA.

Over the past few years, UPS has:

• Operated the largest private fleet of alternative-fuel vehicles in the transportation industry and, in 2008, purchased 500 additional hybrid electric (HEV) and compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicles.

• Optimized its delivery routes using technology to minimize left-hand turns, saving the company 3 million gallons of fuels in 2007.

• Minimized fuel use in airline operations by reducing the number of engines used during taxiing and deploying a new flight planning system to calculate the most efficient routes based on weather, terrain, winds, and other factors.

"EPA applauds our corporate partners who are reducing their climate footprints in cost-effective ways," said EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson. "Not only is UPS contributing to this country's energy independence, UPS is proving that businesses can save green by going green."

UPS has been a long-time partner of many voluntary programs sponsored by the EPA. These include a charter partner of the SmartWay Transport Partnership program in 2003, the Green Power Partnership, Waste Wise, and the Energy Star program. 

Later this week, UPS will receive the EPA's SmartWay Environmental Excellence Award for its leadership in conserving energy and lowering greenhouse gas emissions.

For more information, visit www.sustainability.ups.com.