Project Green Fleet is the result of a diverse group of stakeholders who came together to proactively address air quality issues facing Minnesota.

Dirty Air Days

Minnesota is fortunate to have relatively good air quality, but there are still pollutants that are harmful for our health, our environment and our economy. Environmental advocates, businesses and state agencies recognized more frequent days where air quality was poor, and concentrations of air pollutants like soot and smog were high. This group of people realized if nothing was done, air quality would continue to deteriorate and the state would be in danger of violating federal air quality standards. 

Cleaner Air Through Partnership

In 2003, Environmental Initiative was asked to convene a group of businesses, units of government and environmental organizations to develop a set of strategies to clean up the air. This group, now known as the Clean Air Minnesota Steering Committee, works to keep Minnesota’s air clean through proactive, voluntary approaches. Installing pollution control equipment on diesel vehicles was one idea the stakeholders agreed would make a big impact. Read More About Clean Air Minnesota »

Pilot Project to Statewide Effort

In 2005, Environmental Initiative launched a pilot-scale effort to reduce diesel emissions from school buses. A small number of school buses had pollution control equipment installed during the first year of the project, which was made possible with the financial support of Flint Hills Resources. Since then, Environmental Initiative’s Project Green Fleet has expanded its voluntary efforts to reduce emissions from Rochester to Roseau. Project Green Fleet has also diversified its efforts to include new technologies and other diesel vehicles beyond just school buses. Read More »

How it Works

Environmental Initiative has structured Project Green Fleet to be as easy as possible for fleet owners and operators, and to work for the collective good of all participants by raising funds to benefit multiple organizations. Environmental Initiative's Project Green Fleet staff:

• Recruit fleet partners to include in grant applications
• Write and submit grant proposals
• Administer grant funding
• Manage pollution control equipment procurement processes
• Coordinate fleet review and installation of equipment with our network of vendors and installers

 Fleet owners and operators can easily upgrade vehicles with pollution control or idle reduction technologies at low, or no cost. Read More »