Editor’s note: This commentary is by Karen Colberg, Ralph Carlton and Suzanne McDowell, who are co-CEOs at King Arthur Flour, based in Norwich.
[K]ing Arthur Flour works with mills and farmers across the nation to supply home bakers everywhere with some of the finest flours and baking supplies available. It takes a lot of time and energy to transport our products to stores and kitchens across the country, and we are acutely aware of the impact all that transportation has on the environment.
In 2016, the transportation sector surpassed the electric power sector to become the largest emitter of greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. In fact, the transportation sector is responsible for nearly a third of all U.S. Greenhouse gas emissions — contributing to climate change and air pollution, and exacerbating public health concerns.
At King Arthur, we believe that we should leave the world cleaner and healthier than we found it. That is why we are taking steps to reduce our carbon footprint. Our mileage reimbursement program encourages employees to carpool and saves 38,258 solo-commuting miles per year. We have also installed electric vehicle charging stations at our Norwich facility, which are powered by on-site solar panels that generate 12,000 kWh per year.
However, we are just getting started on our efforts. We know that we have more work do, and we also know that we cannot tackle the problem on our own. We need policies that help curb transportation emissions in the Green Mountain State and throughout the region.
Therefore we were pleased to see Gov. Phil Scott announce that Vermont will join eight other states and the District of Columbia this year to collaborate on developing a regional, market-based policy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and modernize our transportation system.
Last summer, King Arthur Flour joined over 50 businesses and institutions in calling on regional leaders to prioritize policies and investments for a clean and efficient regional transportation system — and we are excited to see progress being made. A regional program to curb transportation emissions could help enable investments in the growing clean transportation sector, from electric vehicle infrastructure to rural public transportation to improvements for roads and bridges.
If designed correctly with a strong emissions cap, a market-based program to reduce transportation emissions — like the one the region’s governors are considering — could also bring significant economic benefits to the region. A proven model already exists in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), the nation’s first regional cap-and-trade program for power sector emissions. Since 2008, Vermont and other East Coast states from Maryland to Maine have reduced greenhouse gas emissions from power plants in the region by more than 40% with RGGI in place, while also driving $2.8 billion in regional economic growth and creating nearly 30,000 jobs. A similar program could be created for the transportation sector to help cut greenhouse gas emissions and spur investment to create a cleaner, more modern transportation system for Vermont.
This transformation can’t come soon enough. Vermont needs to add 90,000 electric vehicles to our roads by 2025 in order to meet the state’s GHG emission reduction goals. We have a ways to go, with fewer than 3,000 electric vehicles currently on Green Mountain State roads, according to a recent report by Energy Action Network.
Increasing investment in electric vehicles and their infrastructure would provide myriad environmental and economic benefits for Vermont businesses and residents. Electric vehicles emit far less carbon dioxide than traditional combustion engines, even when powered by the dirtiest grids, and they will only become cleaner as we transition to renewable energy sources. That means less air pollution and a cleaner environment, in addition to cost savings. A recent report also found that rural drivers stand to benefit more from electric vehicles than other Americans because the fuel savings and reduced maintenance costs add up over the miles driven in an electric vehicle when compared to conventional vehicles.
As state leaders move forward throughout the year on their plan to design a regional policy, we thank Gov. Scott for participating in the process, and hope that he takes on a leading role in that effort. The Green Mountain State and its business community have a lot to gain by accelerating our transition to clean transportation. Let’s get to work.