Media CenterCRS Partners with Georgia Tech to Eliminate Millions of Pounds of CO2 Emissions

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT:
Nikki Gamer
Catholic Relief Services
(978) 884-0003
nikki.gamer@crs.org

Michelle Babcock
Georgia Tech Student
(770) 851-1366
[email protected]
 

BALTIMORE, MD Aug. 31, 2020 – Catholic Relief Services (CRS), an international humanitarian and development organization, is adopting a proposal by two students at Georgia Institute of Technology to prove that going green can save green – on a global scale. Over 4.5 years, CRS would be able to reduce emissions of its more than 1,300 vehicles by as much as 42 million pounds, and also save millions of dollars, according to estimates. The win-win results from strategically replacing older cars with more fuel-efficient models and powertrains, reducing idling, using sedans for urban and long-distance driving rather than SUVs, and other practices.  

“A changing climate impacts us all, but especially the most vulnerable among us,” said CRS Global Fleet Manager, Michael Bieger. “We’re grateful to Georgia Tech students Michelle Babcock and Rachel Moore for demonstrating that we can accelerate our mission without a cloud of exhaust. Building a more environmental fleet of vehicles will improve the health of the communities we serve and our own bottom line.”

The CRS fleet management proposal was the winning proposal of the Spring 2020 Georgia Tech Carbon Reduction Challenge, which is a project in the Energy, Environment, and Society class at the university. Students are challenged to come up with ideas to reduce the carbon footprint of  large organization by millions of pounds of carbon dioxide while also delivering cost savings. The Georgia Tech team worked with Bieger for several months to analyze CRS fleet data and develop a plan for reducing carbon emissions.

The proposal projects a reduction of 6.28 to 9.35 million pounds of CO2. The average passenger vehicle in America is responsible for about 10,000 pounds of CO2 annually. The students’ proposal aims to save more than 600 times that amount annually, at least.

“We’re thrilled to have the opportunity to partner with a global nonprofit like Catholic Relief Services,” Babcock said. “CRS has an outstanding reputation and really cares about supporting the communities they serve. From the beginning, Rachel and I saw the Carbon Reduction Challenge as an opportunity to make a difference. And by partnering with Catholic Relief Services, we were able to do that in a big way.”

CRS is a member of the NGO Climate Compact, a pledge that addresses the ongoing threat of climate change. Many developing countries in places such as Sub-Sahara Africa, Asia and Central America are struggling with intensifying weather, including droughts, devastating storms and other conditions. CRS works in 114 countries around the world, serving nearly 160 million people in need.

“We are at a pivotal moment in history. If it is possible to glean anything positive from the COVID-19 pandemic, it could be a growing awareness that across borders, we are one human family,” said Sean Callahan, CRS president and CEO, after signing the Climate Compact in April. “Just like the coronavirus, climate change is a great equalizer, affecting all of us. Environmental degradation leads to mass hunger, unemployment, migration and violent conflict. This is a human and economic catastrophe. The good news is that when we set collective standards, we can expedite action.”

Humanitarian workers use an estimated 100,000 vehicles to deliver needy services in far-flung places of the globe, but organizations traditionally have not had the resources of for-profit corporations to systematically analyze their fleet management.

The students’ suggested recommendations, which will be implemented by CRS, include:

• Vehicle lifecycle – Replace fleet vehicles every 4.5 years rather than the current 8.5 years. The practice will save money since used cars will get a higher resale value, and newer cars get better gas mileage and have lower maintenance costs.
• Vehicle Powertrain Choices – About 75% of the sedans in CRS’ fleet can potentially be replaced by hybrid models.
• Vehicle Idling – CRS cars sometimes idle for long periods during project visits or meetings. If 70% of that idling is eliminated, CRS will save in excess of 28,000 gallons, $96,800 and 567,500 pounds of CO2 per year.

Not only does the students’ plan save a significant amount of CO2 from entering the atmosphere, it is also projected to save CRS in excess of $500,000 annually once fully implemented, according to the proposal by Moore and Babcock.

“We felt we had a real chance to make a big difference in emissions for a large organization,” Moore said. “And since our stakeholder is a nonprofit, we know that every dollar saved could go towards improving the lives of people in developing countries. So that made us all the more passionate about our project.”

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Catholic Relief Services is the official international humanitarian agency of the Catholic community in the United States. The agency alleviates suffering and provides assistance to people in need in more than 100 countries, without regard to race, religion or nationality. CRS’ relief and development work is accomplished through programs of emergency response, HIV, health, agriculture, education, microfinance and peacebuilding. For more information, visit www.crs.org or www.crsespanol.org and follow Catholic Relief Services on social media in English at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube; and in Spanish at: Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

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