May is National Clean Air Month, the American Lung Association’s annual nationwide campaign to raise awareness of the impact clean air has on our lives and to encourage communities and businesses to take action to improve air quality.
Launched in 1972 in the wake of the passage of the Clean Air Act, Clean Air Month highlights the effects air pollution has on health, the substantial progress made in improving air quality over the past 50+ years, and the steps needed to ensure a safer, healthier environment for us all in the decades ahead.
TL;DR
- National Clean Air Month raises awareness about the impact of air pollution on public health and environmental safety.
- The campaign encourages businesses and communities to take proactive steps toward improving air quality.
- Clean Air Month was launched in 1972 following the passage of the Clean Air Act in the United States.
- Significant progress has been made in air quality improvement over the past 50 years, but continued efforts are still necessary.
- Poor air quality can negatively affect human health, making pollution reduction an important long-term priority.
- Organizations can support cleaner air initiatives by adopting sustainable and environmentally responsible practices.
The Health Impact of Pollution
Most of the air pollution we see and breathe comes from energy production and use. We generally see those results in smog and soot, the two most prevalent types of air pollution. Smog is the result of emissions from combusting fossil fuels reacting with sunlight.
Heavy-duty vehicles are one of the main contributors to smog worldwide, generating more than 25% of total warming emissions and 35% of California’s emissions. Soot is the combination of tiny particles of chemicals, soil, smoke, dust, or allergens carried in the air.
Air pollution is now the world’s fourth-largest risk factor for early death. According to the most recent State of Global Air report, 4.5 million deaths were linked to outdoor air pollution exposures in 2019.
While more work remains to be done, progress has been made. According to a University of North Carolina study, air pollution decreased significantly between 1990 and 2010. The research showed that U.S. deaths related to air pollution exposure dropped by 47%, from 135,000 in 1990 to 71,000 in 2010. The Environmental Protection Agency also found particulate pollution declined by over 24 percent between 2009 and 2016.
Why Fleet Emissions Matter More in 2026
Fleet emissions are no longer a side issue or a once-a-year sustainability talking point. They now sit at the heart of the day-to-day economics of running vehicles, serving customers, winning contracts, and planning future fleet investments.
For construction, field service, utilities, logistics, delivery, government, and local service businesses, vehicles keep the work moving. They get crews to jobsites, move equipment, complete service calls, support emergency response, and keep customer commitments on schedule. But every vehicle also carries a cost beyond the monthly payment. Fuel waste, idle time, inefficient routing, overdue maintenance, and unnecessary mileage all show up in operating budgets and emissions totals.
That is why fleet sustainability matters more in 2026. It is not just about “going green.” It is about controlling the parts of fleet operations that quietly drain money every day.
Fuel remains one of the clearest examples. A truck that idles for long periods, takes inefficient routes, or runs with unresolved maintenance issues does not just burn more fuel. It increases cost per job, shortens vehicle life, adds avoidable emissions, and makes the fleet harder to manage.
Customer expectations are also changing. More businesses, municipalities, and public-sector buyers want to know how vendors manage their environmental impact. A company that can show cleaner fleet data, lower idle time, better utilization, and measurable fuel reduction has a stronger story when bidding for contracts or reporting to stakeholders.
Regulatory pressure adds another layer. In March 2024, the EPA finalized Phase 3 greenhouse gas standards for heavy-duty vehicles beginning with model year 2027. While these rules apply to manufacturers, fleet operators still need to pay attention because future vehicle availability, replacement planning, purchase costs, and long-term compliance expectations may all be affected.
ESG reporting is also becoming more specific. Fleet fuel use often falls under Scope 1 emissions because it comes from fuel burned by vehicles the company owns or controls. That means sustainability teams need accurate fuel, mileage, and vehicle activity data, not broad estimates pulled together at the end of the year.
Clean fleet work now touches almost every team in the business. Operations teams need efficient routes. Finance teams need lower fuel costs. Compliance teams need cleaner records. Procurement teams need smarter replacement plans. Maintenance teams need better vehicle health visibility. Safety teams need driver behavior data. Leadership needs proof that fleet decisions are improving both cost and environmental performance.
In 2026, fleet emissions matter because they reveal how efficiently the business runs. A cleaner fleet is usually a better-managed fleet.
Save Green by Going Green
While dramatically increasing fuel economy and reducing emissions over the past three decades, fleets—particularly those using heavy-duty vehicles—still have a role to play in further reducing air pollution.
Swapping the worst offenders out for new, cleaner options isn’t simply good for air quality, it’s good for business, and many public and private fleets are leading the way. As more consumers reward companies based on making environmental concerns a key tenet of their operations, major companies like Amazon, Walmart, PepsiCo, and others have begun seriously investing in heavy-duty electric trucks to reduce their carbon footprint and save money. Public fleets, from buses to law enforcement and other city vehicles, are also ramping up efforts to adopt electrical vehicles (EVs).
According to EnergySage, charging an EV is roughly three times cheaper by the mile than a gas-powered vehicle.
Not only do EVs shrink their carbon footprint, but the cities also cut their maintenance and operating costs. The federal government estimates that an EV costs less than half its gasoline counterpart to go the same distance. These estimates are based on residential rates: Public fleets that have their own solar or wind power will pay even less. Growing federal incentives will help save even more.
Going Green Checklist
Of course, EVs aren’t the only way to green your fleet. There are several steps fleets of all sizes can take right now to help reduce emissions while driving more revenue, including:
- Reduce unnecessary engine idling – Engine idling costs vehicle owners the price of almost one gallon of fuel each hour. Idling also increases engine wear and pollutes the air. By utilizing a GPS tracking solution, fleet managers can take control over idling and other inefficient driving practices that waste fuel and produce excessive CO2 emissions into the atmosphere.
- Institute fuel-efficient driving practices – Drivers and operators are critical to successfully reducing fuel consumption and air pollution. Fleet owners can reduce fuel consumption by training drivers and operators on fuel-efficient driving strategies and creating rewards programs that offer incentives for conserving fuel.
- Increase route efficiency – GPS tracking solutions help get drivers from point A to point B in the most efficient way possible. By taking efficient routes to and from the job site, fleets will significantly reduce greenhouse gas emitted from your vehicles.
- Schedule maintenance reminders – GPS tracking solutions can also help fleets stay up to date on oil changes, air-filter changes, emissions testing, and other services with automated maintenance reminders. Ensuring proper maintenance of vehicles can increase a fleet’s MPG by upwards of 25%.
- Right-size your fleet – It is important to right-size your vehicles—identify and purchase the most appropriate size and class of vehicle for the intended application. When it is time to replace or purchase additional vehicles, consider the greenest options possible to help reduce air pollution and increase public demand for green vehicles. If smaller vehicles meet the fleet’s needs, the fleet will usually save money because smaller vehicles are typically less expensive and use less fuel than larger vehicles.
By implementing these simple measures, your fleet can not only save money, but help reduce air pollution and build greater goodwill with consumers. GPS Insight can help fleet managers improve efficiency, productivity, safety, and customer service while helping reduce air pollution.
Pro Tip: Set separate idle benchmarks by vehicle type. A service van, bucket truck, refrigerated vehicle, and heavy construction asset may have very different operating needs. A single idle rule across every asset can create frustration and inaccurate reporting.
GPS Insight is Committed to Sustainability
At GPS Insight, one of our missions is to help fleets do their part to reduce their environmental, economic, and social impact. Our solutions help fleets increase operational efficiencies, improve maintenance and vehicle usage, and reduce fuel and energy waste.
We are proud of the impact we’re having in this critical area. That’s why we are proud GPS Insight earned the Business Intelligence Group’s prestigious 2022 Sustainability Award for those efforts.
For fleets big or small, creating a sustainable fleet program is one of the greatest contributions that can be made to help reduce their impact on climate change. With CO2 emissions at an all-time high, it is now more important than ever for fleets to consider their sustainability goals. The Environmental Protection Agency reports that transportation now accounts for 27% of the country’s greenhouse gas emissions. That means fleet managers have a huge opportunity to make a difference.
Book a Demo
To learn more about turning your fleet operation green, schedule a demo with GPS Insight today!
