NAPA debuts climate action plan

By |  January 31, 2022

National Asphalt Pavement Association (NAPA) logo

The National Asphalt Pavement Association (NAPA) unveiled a plan for the asphalt pavement industry to curb climate change.

NAPA’s plan, dubbed “The Road Forward,” calls on the U.S. asphalt community to advance technologies, products and processes to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. The direction set forth in the NAPA plan conforms to the basic ideas of the Paris Agreement, as well as the findings of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

In a presentation at NAPA’s Annual Meeting this month, the association’s Richard Willis unveiled the association’s plan with a video and more.

“This is one mission and one vision for the entire industry to point us where we need to go to proactively lower emissions and accelerate beyond the industry’s past efforts in environmental stewardship and sustainability,” says Willis, NAPA vice president of engineering, research and technology.

NAPA’s climate plan includes four goals, 19 tactics and eight research and implementation gaps.

“We as an industry need to take it upon ourselves to be responsible, to make these changes, and, where we can, get help,” Willis says. “But we need to take ownership and start today.”

Jim Mitchell, president of Superior Paving Corp. who serves NAPA as chairman of the board, describes the association’s climate initiative as next in a long series of steps the asphalt pavement industry has undertaken to preserve resources and continue implementing environmentally friendly practices.

“We know that by embracing our decades-long spirit of innovation, we can and will do more toward sustainability,” Mitchell says. “Asphalt pavement is the No. 1 recycled material in the country. As an industry, we reused 87 million tons in 2020 alone. This plan includes greater use of existing technology such as recycled and warm-mix asphalt, while spurring development and implementation of new technologies to further reduce emissions.”

Kevin Yanik

About the Author:

Kevin Yanik is editor-in-chief of Pit & Quarry. He can be reached at 216-706-3724 or kyanik@northcoastmedia.net.

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