When the Road to Sustainability Doesn’t Happen on a Road

Jul 22, 2013 11:15 AM ET

Prove Your Purpose

Behind electricity, transportation is the second largest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S., according to the EPA. Twenty-seven percent of those transportation-related GHG emissions are attributed directly to freight trucks and commercial aircrafts. Companies across the spectrum, from major industrial manufacturers to CPGs, are finding new ways to reduce transportation footprints – simultaneously designing for efficiency while also responding to global consumer demand for CSR innovation.

Rolls Royce, perhaps best known for swanky cars and powerful planes, is now trying its hand at hybrid ships. The company is developing a combination sail and steam ship to side-step surging fuel costs. The ship, being developed in concert with B9 Shipping, will be able to carry 4,500 tons of freight. Oskar Levander, vice president for innovation in Rolls Royce's marine unit, says the hybrid ship is the beginning of a new era. "We're at the dawn of a transition," he said in a recent Bloomberg article.

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