(Credit: Pixabay)The landscape industry is seeking to transition to zero emissions but two industry organizations warn that the shift will require investment in expensive equipment and infrastructure. The American Green Zone Alliance (AGZA) and the National Association of Landscape Professionals (NALP) will work together on an approach to the responsible transition from gas to zero-emission equipment in the industry.
AGZA and NALP believe that the transition to zero-emission equipment will require: education and workforce development training; infrastructure support including the capacity to charge the equipment within the community electric grid and at contractor's facilities and in vehicles; the knowledge and capacity for equipment dealers to maintain the equipment in a timely manner; and the availability of battery-powered landscape equipment without supply-chain issues.
In addition, proper funding through tax credits and rebate programs will be necessary. NALP and AGZA will work together with federal, state, and local policymakers to provide landscape industry companies with the resources and training needed to transition to battery-powered equipment.
"The American Green Zone Alliance is neutral on regulation, bans, and restrictions, but instead prefers a solutions-based approach that involves the carrot versus a stick approach to help the landscape industry transition into lower-impact technologies," said Daniel Mabe, American Green Zone Alliance president. "We think this collaborative approach with the landscape industry is the fastest path to help us reduce emissions from outdoor power equipment."
America's green spaces provide environmental benefits, including producing oxygen, sequestering carbon, providing energy savings, and helping to manage stormwater run-off. The adoption of zero-emission equipment will only increase the environmental benefits of managed landscapes. However, the transition isn't without challenges and can't be done overnight, the organizations say
Other industries are also working towards zero-emission equipment as well. Volvo has created the CO2 Reduction Program which is designed to be integrated into an organization’s operational plans and offers insights, analysis, improvement possibilities and sustainability targets while working toward carbon neutrality. It will use data from connected machines to determine the carbon footprint for all machines, regardless of brand, that are in use. The EPA also has regulations on heavy machinery to reduce emissions from nonroad vehicles by integrating engine and fuel controls through Tier 4 emissions standards.
