Nissan to Enter GSEP Initiative

The efforts made by Japanese manufacturer Nissan in conjunction with its French partner Renault for promoting green motoring is starting to pay off, as the carmaker has been named one of the companies to be part of the Global Superior Energy Performance (GSEP) initiative. The Japanese will not limit themselves to taking part in the endeavor however, but will also be among the first to pilot GSEP.

GSEP is a program set in motion to help buildings and industrial facilities measure and manage their energy use. Facilities of the companies taking part will in the end be recognized based on a system which is yet to be developed.

"When governments, businesses and other entities join together in initiatives such as GSEP, great things can happen," Bill Krueger, Nissan Manufacturing, Purchasing, Supply Chain Management and Total Customer Satisfaction vice president said in a release.

"We have a real opportunity to reduce the world's energy consumption and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This kind of collaboration is essential for lasting environmental progress."

Nissan will enter its Smyrna plant in the US into the program, getting it also ready for an ISO 50001 Energy Management Standard in 2012. In Japan, the Oppama facility, where the Nissan Leaf will enter production this fall, will also take part in the program.

According to the carmaker, its actions have already achieved a 30 percent improvement in energy efficiency at its US plants, saving $11.5 million a year in the process.

"Since Nissan is leading the world in promoting zero-emission mobility, participating in the GSEP pilot is a fitting complement," Krueger added.