Growing our #CarbonHandprint in California

California, to start, adopted cleaner-burning gasoline regulation, which is one of the cornerstones of the state’s efforts to reduce air pollution and attain healthful air quality. Back then, Neste was one of the few companies able to produce and supply gasoline that met the state’s stringent requirements. 

It was the nation’s first state to introduce a Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS), and continues to push the envelope with policies designed to accelerate the transition away from fossil fuels. Neste was there, as one of the first companies to supply low emission renewable diesel into California. 

For more than a decade, Neste has been helping businesses and cities in California achieve their climate goals faster. Our work is delivering real, meaningful climate action right now…and the best is yet to come! 

Fast Facts

• Neste supplies 40% of all renewable diesel used in California

• Over the past five years, Neste enabled California businesses and cities to keep more than 13 million tons of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions out of the atmosphere

• Neste was the first company to supply large scale volumes of sustainable aviation fuel into California

This story will cover how Neste is playing its part in California's sustainability journey:

• Making road transportation more sustainable for schools, cities, and the freight industry 

• Offering air travel powered by sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) for both commercial and business aviation 

• Supporting green, local jobs and increasing the accessibility of renewable fuels 

California’s economy and the quality of life for Californian’s is tied to the state's transportation system. At the same time, California’s government and citizens recognize that reducing carbon emissions from transportation is critical. Some sectors are easier to decarbonize - like passenger cars. Some are harder - like heavy duty trucking and aviation. 

Neste’s focus is on changing the way heavy duty, hard to abate vehicles move. We know that the planet and California communities can not afford for the state’s hundreds of thousands of existing generators, heavy duty road vehicles and aircraft to keep burning fossil fuels. Renewable fuels are a today solution, and Neste is working hard to make it easier for California cities and businesses to fill up with them.  

“For nearly a decade, Neste’s renewable diesel has played a major role in the success of the state’s low carbon fuel standard, replacing more than 1.7 billion gallons of fossil diesel to date,” said Jeremy Baines, President of Neste US. “Going forward, Neste also looks forward to helping California progress faster towards a sustainable future for aviation.”

Cities and businesses play a key role in combating climate change, as urban activities are major sources of greenhouse gas emissions. Estimates suggest that cities are responsible for 75% of global CO2 emissions, with transportation and buildings among the largest contributors.

A World-Changing Idea: A #CircularEconomy in Oakland

Where: Oakland, California

What: A pioneering circular economy, where Neste turns the used cooking oil from local restaurants across Oakland into renewable diesel to power the City of Oakland’s municipal fleet.

How it works: In collaboration with Western States Oil, Neste began working with the City of Oakland to collect used cooking oil from restaurants within the city limits. In turn, Neste converts this locally sourced waste into renewable diesel to power the city’s municipal fleets, ranging from garbage and recycling trucks to emergency response vehicles and to street cleaners.

“All of our renewable products are made by recycling -- or rather upcycling -- one industry’s waste into another industry’s treasure,” said Baines. “Our advanced biofuels are the perfect example of this: using waste and residue materials from our food system to power our transportation system.”

Impact: The City of Oakland is preventing more than 3,375 metric tons of CO2 equivalent from entering the atmosphere per year. Additionally, this inspiring partnership was recognized as a winner of Fast Company’s World Changing Ideas Awards in 2021. Read more about the partnership here.

#CleanSchoolBuses for kids and a healthier planet

Where: Sacramento County, California

What: Twin Rivers Unified School district switched 75 diesel-powered school buses to run on renewable diesel fuel provided by Neste, helping make its fleet one of the cleanest in the country. 

Impact: Twin Rivers keeps 523 metric tons of CO2 out of the atmosphere each year - the same climate benefits as making 114 passenger cars zero emission or planting 8,648 trees. Consider that about 65% of the state’s 25,000 school buses run on fossil diesel. Simply switching the state’s entire fleet of diesel-powered school buses to run on renewable diesel fuel could reduce GHG emissions by nearly 850,000 thousand tons per year.

Enabling two recycling companies to go #FossilFree

Where: Oakland, California

What: CASS, a closed-loop metal recycling company, and Argent Materials, an eco-friendly concrete and asphalt recycling company, both eliminated the use of fossil diesel from their fleets after switching to renewable diesel. 

How it works: CASS and Argent depend on really big equipment powered by big engines. By partnering with Neste, both companies were able to reduce their carbon footprint immediately by simply filling up renewable diesel. There were no costly equipment modifications, and no need to buy new vehicles or engines. 

Impact: 100% of CASS’s and Argent’s diesel-based equipment and vehicles are powered by renewable diesel. Overall, this is helping keep more than 2,200 metric tons of GHG emissions out of the atmosphere per year - the same climate benefits as keeping 216,000 gallons of fossil diesel in the ground.

Transporting equipment with a much smaller #CarbonFootprint

Where: Stockton and Hayward, California 

What: Cherokee Freight Lines and 18 Trucking are cutting GHG emissions and contributing to cleaner air by powering their trucks with renewable diesel.  

How it works: Both companies made the switch to renewable diesel practically overnight, and with no new costs or modifications to their vehicles. Trucks can fill up at one of Neste’s fueling stations located on key trucking routes throughout California, and both companies can work with one of Neste’s trusted distributors for on demand re-fuelling. 

Impact: Between 18 Trucking Cherokee Freight, more than 400 Class 8 trucks are on the road powered by renewable diesel. As a result, the two companies are keeping nearly 4,600 metric tons of GHG emissions out of the atmosphere per year - delivering the same climate benefits as making nearly 1,000 cars zero emission. 

A #ClimateQuantumLeap in the Bay Area

Where: San Francisco, California 

What: As one of the 25 busiest airports in the world, SFO set a goal to become the first triple zero airport - that is: net zero carbon, zero waste and net zero energy. Through an industry’s first-of-its-kind partnership, Neste and the San Francisco International Airport (SFO) seamlessly introduced sustainable aviation fuel into the airport’s existing jet fuel supply chain. 

How it works:  Neste offered a breakthrough in the supply chain by delivering a continuous supply of sustainable aviation fuel via existing pipeline infrastructure. Now, sustainable aviation  fuel from a neary storage terminal can be sent directly to the airport.  

Impact: Today, more than 3.5 million gallons of SAF have entered into the airport, and is being used by major airlines including American Airlines, JetBlue, Alaska Air and DHL Express, as well as for business and private aviation via Signature Flight Support, which prevents 25,000 metric tons of CO2 from entering the atmosphere. The introduction of sustainable aviation fuel received multiple recognitions from the industry, the American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE) shortlisted SFO as a winner of the 2021 Airports Go Green Awards, and Neste also took home the Skift IDEA Awards 2021 for offering a breakthrough in the supply chain by directly delivering the fuel to SFO via pipeline. Read more about the partnership here. 

#BusinessAviation reaching new heights with SAF

Where: Fixed-base operators at San Francisco International Airport, Oakland International Airport, Monterey Regional Airport, San Jose International Airport, Charles M. Schulz–Sonoma County Airport, Hollywood Burbank Airport, and Truckee Tahoe Airport

What: Supplying sustainable aviation fuel to seven fixed base operation airports in California, which service the fast growing private and business aviation industry. 

How it works: Neste formed strategic partnerships with both Signature Flight Support (SFS) and Avfuel to increase the available supply of sustainable aviation fuel to the business aviation industry. The partnership combines Neste’s leading production and marketing expertise with Signature Flight Support and Avfuel’s leading distribution logistics and reach into a global network of fixed-base operators and fuel consumers.

Impact: Business aviation leaves behind a large carbon footprint - though business aviation only contributes to 0.04% of global aviation CO2 emissions, they typically serve fewer passengers. SAF provides the most meaningful, immediate way for these individuals to reduce their carbon footprint and fly more sustainably. To date, over 1.6 million gallons of Neste MY Sustainable Aviation Fuel have been supplied to SFS and Avfuels' seven fixed-base operator locations across California, powering sustainable air travels for business aviation, and resulting in a more than 16,000-tonne reduction in aircraft CO2 emissions. Neste’s achievements in bringing more SAF to the business aviation industry made it a winner of Aviation International News' 2021 Top Flight Award’s Sustainability Category. Read more about our partnership with SFS here.

Facilitating #CorporateSustainability by partnering with TripActions

Where: Palo Alto 

What: Neste and TripActions and Reed & Mackay  announced a partnership to offer sustainable aviation fuel to all TripActions Group customers, which are primarily large corporations. 

How it works: Neste and TripActions and Reed & Mackay became the world’s first travel management company group to enable customers to purchase sustainable aviation fuel directly from the world’s largest producer and then supply it to the airlines on which they fly. 

Impact: This collaboration will enable businesses to reduce Scope 3 emissions from business-related air travel, as well as support the growth of the sustainable aviation fuel industry.

Supporting #GreenJobs and increasing the accessibility of renewable fuels

Where: Selby and multiple cities in California 

What: Collaborating with trusted partners, Neste has done two things: 1. Refurbished and upgraded an existing oil terminal to store renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuel; and 2. Established a distribution network for renewable diesel to make it easier for customers to access renewable fuels. 

How it works: Neste partnered with NuStar, one of America’s largest terminal and pipeline operators, to expand the Selby Terminal, which was used to handle conventional jet fuel for decades. The Selby Terminal is progressing to become a hub for low-emission renewable fuels.

To make it even easier to access renewable diesel, Neste is expanding its fueling network across California. To date, Neste has transformed 19 fueling stations into green fueling sites that offer renewable diesel. Additionally, Neste is partnering with a number of local fuel distributors, including Western States Oil, Diesel Direct West Inc., Jeffries Bros. Inc, TACEnergy and Van De Pol Petroleum. 

Impact: The Selby Terminal expansion project supports local jobs and will ultimately make it easier for Neste to supply more sustainable aviation fuel and renewable diesel into California. To date, Neste now has more than 1,400 renewable diesel fuel distribution points across California.