ESRI Commits to Clinton Global Initiative with Carbon Reduction Solution

The City and County of San Francisco is working with ESRI and NAVTEQ to implement a pilot program that reduces greenhouse gas emissions. This project is part of a commitment with the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI). By using ESRI's ArcLogistics software, San Francisco will optimize its fleet operations and reduce its carbon footprint. NAVTEQ's highly detailed map data, which is essential for efficient route planning, is built into the ESRI routing solution.

The project is a result of ESRI, NAVTEQ, and San Francisco's participation in CGI, with a goal to reduce carbon emissions. The William J. Clinton Foundation launched the Clinton Global Initiative to create and advance solutions to the core issues driving climate change, including reducing carbon emissions. At the CGI 2009 Annual Meeting, held in New York City September 22–25, ESRI President Jack Dangermond announced ESRI's commitment to the CGI endeavor and described San Francisco's pilot program. This commitment includes a grant of ESRI's route optimization software ArcLogistics to local governments in large metropolitan areas. San Francisco is the pilot participant in this national project.

"ESRI's ArcLogistics software is being used in San Francisco's GreenRoutes pilot program," notes San Francisco's Mayor Gavin Newsom. "It will create more efficient routes for the city's fleet vehicles, thereby helping decrease municipal fuel costs and greenhouse gas emissions. We are pleased to be partnering with ESRI on this innovative program."

Prior to this project, San Francisco's fleet did not use a route calculation technology product. Using ArcLogistics and NAVTEQ map data, San Francisco fleet managers will be able to organize work assignments into routes based on actual street drive time and miles. The route scheduling function will further reduce fleet carbon emissions by suggesting an optimized stop sequence.

The pilot project includes an emissions analysis. Fleet managers will identify candidate fleets to be used in the project, and analysts will determine each fleet's current carbon emission level. They will then deploy ESRI's routing technology and, after one operational year, calculate the emission reductions realized. San Francisco will publish its findings so that government fleet managers around the nation can better assess the value of fleet routing software for emission reduction.

ESRI and NAVTEQ have made a 10-year commitment to supply San Francisco with ArcLogistics Desktop software, ArcLogistics Navigator software, and NAVTEQ map data.

ArcLogistics software users typically report fleet-related cost savings of 15–20 percent. This is attributable to the software's route-solving ability to include time windows, vehicle capacity, and the nature of the street network. It also enables dispatchers to provide drivers with barrier information, such as road closures, construction, or traffic incidents, so they can meet scheduled appointments. The application fully integrates with GPS.

NAVTEQ map data includes the latest street geometry with navigational attributes that facilitate turn-by-turn directions and enable in-dash vehicle and portable navigation devices, route planning, route optimization, and map display.