Sustainability Advocate Jason Mathers Demonstrates Sustainability is Good for Business

Interview with Jason Mathers, Environmental Defense Fund

“At first folks thought that FedEx and EDF were an odd couple. Together, we’ve demonstrated that sustainability is good for business.” 

As Director of Supply Chain at the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), Jason Mathers helps companies cut pollution, greenhouse gas emissions—and business costs. Over almost two decades of close collaboration, he says, FedEx has helped develop a new generation of transport solutions.  

“We’ve shown how nonprofits and companies working together can drive impact on the scale required. Our collaboration started with one truck. Together we launched the first street-ready hybrid truck, which joined the FedEx fleet in 2004 and expanded to hundreds of vehicles. Next we sought to scale these and other fuel efficiency improvements by supporting well-designed incentives and emissions standards.”

“We recognize that business has a big stake in getting the rules right. Over the years, we’ve developed a frank and trusting dialogue with FedEx. That’s made EDF better able to develop policy recommendations that achieve our goal to cut global greenhouse gas emissions, while providing the flexibility that FedEx needs to operate its business.” 

“FedEx relentlessly tests innovative technologies such as hybrid and electric trucks and aviation biofuels. Learning from these efforts will help the entire transportation industry reduce emissions now and over the long-term.

Business voices are influential in shaping policy. FedEx has repeatedly engaged with U.S. policymakers about its support of vehicle fuel efficiency standards, including the most recent emissions standards for heavy trucks which passed in 2016 and run through model year 2027 vehicles. There’s a select group of companies engaging in this way, and it’s a mark of true leadership.”