Amid Earth Week, AAA Northeast announced an ambitious goal: to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2045. 

The initiative is included in the not-for-profit auto club’s first Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Report, released April 18. 

“AAA Northeast’s responsibility is to our members, the motoring public and to the communities in which we live and work,” AAA Northeast CEO John Galvin said in a statement. “Our first ESG report communicates our progress to date on key ESG-related priorities and our ambitions for the future. As we continue along our ESG journey, we will evolve to meet the needs of our members, employees, and communities to have a positive environmental and societal impact.” 

In 2022, the organization kicked off an initiative to reduce diesel-powered vehicles from its fleet and replace almost 20% of light-service vehicles with electric vehicles on order. 

Also part of its environmental goals, AAA Northeast aims to eliminate all diesel-powered vehicles by 2024; purchase only EVs for light-service use by 2030; and use 100% renewable energy by 2035.  

It’s also helping consumers learn more about electric vehicle ownership with a new website. 

In addition to its environmental goals, the new report highlights AAA’s social and governance ambitions, including cultivating a workforce representative of the communities it serves and continuing to conduct business ethically, protecting member and employee information and acting with integrity. 

As for what the organization has already achieved in these areas, the report noted examples including: 

Social: 

• Donated more than $500,000 to nearly 170 nonprofit organizations. 
• Launched its first employee resource group, Women Empowered, enabling women across the organization to connect, strengthen professional skills and find development opportunities. 
• Expanded the total amount of its employee higher education reimbursement program, resulting in a 28% increase in utilization from 2021. 

Governance: 

• Required all employees to complete an annual Information Security Awareness training. 
• Integrated its code of ethical business conduct into an employee handbook. 

Headquartered in Providence, R.I., AAA Northeast serves New Jersey, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire and New York. In the Garden State, the organization has more than 755,000 members in Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Morris, Passaic and Union counites.