United Nations Climate Summit 2014: Clean Diesel Power Driving Progress in Meeting Climate, Energy & Sustainability Goals

WASHINGTON, Sept. 22, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- As the United Nations Climate Summit takes place in New York, clean diesel technology is poised as a key solution to help the world tackle the climate challenge, said Allen Schaeffer, the Executive Director of the Diesel Technology Forum.

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"Diesel power has long been the workhorse for economic progress and improving quality of life around the world," Schaeffer said. "A new generation of more energy efficient clean diesel technology and renewable low-carbon fuels ensures that diesel is the technology of choice for the sustainable future.

"In the past 15 years in the U.S., advancements in clean diesel technology and fuel have created near-zero emissions trucks, cars, and equipment that are more fuel efficient and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

"More than 90 percent of the world's cargo today is moved by diesel-powered engines and more than two-thirds of all farm machines and construction equipment are powered by diesel. This is why the major transformation to clean diesel technology will have a significant global impact in a shorter timeframe in reducing greenhouse gas emissions."

"One greenhouse gas is black carbon emissions, where diesel engines account for about 25% of the global inventory, compared to open burning of biomass solid fuels (coal, wood, dung ) (53.5%), industrial and coal use (7.2%) and other sources (14.5%). In the U.S., black carbon emissions are only 5% of the global inventory, and new clean diesel engines and fuels will reduce these emissions by 70% by 2030, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

"This power of clean diesel to reduce black carbon emissions has not gone unnoticed by world leaders. This week, the UN Environment Program is encouraging other countries to adopt clean diesel standards beginning with cleaner diesel fuels. On a global level, all nations must work for high-quality ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel and renewable diesel fuels. These enable the use of low-emissions technology like particulate trap upgrades to engines and equipment.

"One of the leading climate scientists who discovered the greenhouse gas effect, Prof. Veerabhadran Ramanathan, estimates that if the rest of the world followed California's diesel standards in reducing black carbon, we could cool a warming planet by 2 degrees Celsius."

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Allen Schaeffer
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Contact:
Steve Hansen
shansen@dieselforum.org
+1-301-668-7230 (o)
+1-202-355-3664 (c)

(View this press release online here.)