SF Mayor Says Switch To Renewable Diesel For Transportation Fleet Is Complete

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee announced Saturday at a summit in Portland, Oregon that the city's transportation fleet has completed swapping its petroleum diesel for a more eco-friendly alternative.

The switch to renewable diesel is estimated to slash the greenhouse gas emissions from the fleet's diesel vehicles by 50 percent, or 50,000 metric tons, according to the mayor's office.

Lee said on July 21 that San Francisco's municipal fleet of vehicles would be switching from petroleum diesel to renewable diesel before the year's end at a conference in Vatican City.

"As the global climate negotiations conclude," Lee said in a statement, "San Francisco and cities worldwide must continue to lead by taking bold actions that reduce greenhouse gas emissions immediately."

The city completed the switch to renewable diesel at all 53 of its fueling facilities.

It's expected to reduce the emissions of harmful air pollutants that harm health of local residents, according to the mayor's office.

These pollutants disproportionately affect the city's low-income communities because the heavy-duty traffic occurs in those areas, according to the mayor's office.

"This change to renewable diesel reflects the high value that the SFMTA places on sustainability and recognition of our role in addressing climate change through sustainable transportation," SFMTA Director of Transportation Ed Reiskin said in a statement.

"Even though Muni already has one of the greenest bus fleets in the country, we remain committed to making our system even cleaner and more efficient," Reiskin added.

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