SAN FRANCISCO—During the Modern Slavery and Climate Change conference on Tuesday, July 21, San Francisco Mayor Edward Lee declared that municipal transportation will start using renewable diesel by the end of the year.
Mayor Lee stated, “By changing our fleet’s fuel from petroleum to renewable diesel, we’re taking action that is good for the global climate, and at the same time promotes environmental justice in our community by leading to cleaner, healthier air for some of our most vulnerable neighborhoods.”
According to a press release from the mayor’s office, switching from petroleum diesel to renewable diesel will cut decrease greenhouse emissions by more than 60 percent. Local air quality will also improve, as renewable diesel does not produce soot and other pollutants.
Fire Chief Joanne Hayes-White of the San Francisco Fire Department supported the mayor’s decision by stating, “The SFFD piloted the use of renewable diesel fuel for our fleet over a period of six months last year. Our fleet ran cleaner and more efficiently.”
Renewable diesel comes from plant and animal oils that are suitable for refining. The refining process is expensive, but federal and state programs offer incentives to use it, making the diesel available for the same price as petroleum. Renewable diesel is not the same fuel as its better-known cousin biodiesel. Renewable diesel and biodiesel are produced differently, and carbon emissions from renewable diesel are 60 percent lower than that of B20 biodiesel.
The Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences hosted 50 mayors of cities worldwide at the one-day Modern Slavery and Climate Change workshop in order to address climate change and new forms of slavery. Pope Francis also attended. The conference’s goal was to bring religious leaders and political figures together and allow them to discuss Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), which will get approved by the UN in September.
