HAMILTON, Ont. — The City of Hamilton has received recognition for greening its fleet of city trucks and light-duty vehicles.

The municipality was given a Silver rating through the E3 Fleet program, which recognizes fleets that take steps to reduce their emissions and improve their environmental practices. The City of Hamilton improved the fuel efficiency of its vehicles by 5% while reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 2%. The city also adopted a green fleet plan, an idle-reduction program and green vehicle purchasing policy, announced E3 Fleet.

The City of Hamilton can be proud of its fleets, said chair Charles Jago for the Fraser Basin Council, a non-profit organization in B.C. that advances sustainability. They have been quick out of the gate to meet E3 Fleet criteria and capture a silver rating. Its an impressive accomplishment, and we expect other public and private sector fleets to step up to the challenge.

“The Public Works Department is extremely pleased to receive this award,” added Scott Stewart, general manager of the City of Hamilton’s Public Works Department. “We take our environmental responsibility very seriously and we hope that we can inspire other municipalities to transition their fleet to greener alternatives as well.”

E3 Fleet is based on the popular LEED certification standard for buildings. It offers ways for fleet owners and operators to reduce their emissions and awards top performers. There are currently 17 member fleets in Canada operating more than 15,000 vehicles.