Forward Air Recognized on USA TODAY’s America’s Climate Leaders 2026 List for Emissions Reduction Progress
Forward Air Corporation, a leading provider of asset-light transportation and logistics services across North America, today announced that it has been named to USA TODAY’s list of America’s Climate Leaders 2026. The annual recognition, published by USA TODAY in partnership with Statista, highlights companies across the United States that have demonstrated measurable progress in reducing core emissions intensity while continuing to deliver strong operational performance.
The America’s Climate Leaders list is widely regarded as a benchmark for corporate environmental responsibility. It evaluates organizations based on their ability to reduce greenhouse gas emissions relative to revenue, alongside transparency in reporting and consistency in sustainability initiatives. For 2026, the ranking placed emphasis on companies that have shown sustained year-over-year improvements in emissions efficiency, reflecting a broader shift in corporate accountability toward climate-related performance indicators.
Forward Air’s inclusion on the 2026 list underscores the company’s ongoing commitment to integrating environmental considerations into its logistics operations. As a key player in time-definite surface transportation and freight services, the company has increasingly focused on optimizing its network efficiency, reducing fuel consumption, and improving emissions tracking across its operations.
Leadership Perspective on Sustainability Progress
Commenting on the recognition, Shawn Stewart, President and Chief Executive Officer of Forward Air, emphasized that the achievement reflects a company-wide effort to align business performance with environmental responsibility.
“This recognition reflects Forward Air’s commitment to and progress towards promoting an economically, socially and environmentally sustainable future,” said Stewart. “It is our responsibility to create an environment that prioritizes safe and sustainable operations inside and outside our doors, and we are extremely proud of our teams for investing in that work.”
Stewart noted that sustainability is not a standalone initiative within the company but rather a core operational principle embedded across its logistics network. This includes collaboration between operations, engineering, and corporate governance teams to identify efficiency gains that simultaneously reduce environmental impact and improve service reliability.
Measurable Improvements in Emissions Performance
A key factor contributing to Forward Air’s recognition was its continued progress in emissions intensity reduction. Over the past several years, the company has implemented a range of initiatives aimed at lowering its environmental footprint while maintaining high service standards across its freight transportation network.
These efforts include improving route optimization, enhancing load efficiency, modernizing fleet utilization strategies, and expanding data-driven emissions monitoring systems. Together, these initiatives have helped the company reduce per-unit emissions intensity even as it continues to serve complex and high-volume logistics demands.
Forward Air also emphasized improvements in its environmental disclosure and reporting processes. The company has expanded its internal tracking systems for fuel usage and energy consumption, enabling more accurate measurement of its greenhouse gas inventory across its operational footprint.
Improved CDP Climate Disclosure Score
In addition to its inclusion on the USA TODAY list, Forward Air reported an improvement in its Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) score, moving from a “B-” rating in 2024 to a “B” rating in 2025. The CDP is a globally recognized environmental disclosure platform that assesses companies on climate-related transparency, governance, risk management, and emissions reduction performance.
The improved score reflects Forward Air’s continued investment in climate-related data collection, verification processes, and emissions reduction strategies. A key milestone in this progress was the completion of a verified audit of the company’s Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Inventory for fiscal year 2024. This verification strengthens the credibility of Forward Air’s emissions reporting and supports more accurate benchmarking against industry standards.
The company views this progress as an important step toward enhancing transparency and accountability in its sustainability reporting. By improving data quality and third-party verification, Forward Air aims to better align its environmental disclosures with evolving regulatory expectations and stakeholder demands.
Operational Focus on Efficiency and Emissions Reduction
According to Mason Payne, Director of Corporate ESG at Forward Air, the company’s sustainability improvements are the result of long-term operational adjustments and targeted efficiency programs.
“Over the past several years, we have reduced per capita energy and fuel consumption, expanded our emissions tracking efforts and advanced our carbon reduction programs,” Payne said. “We will continue our important work to offer our customers and partners reliable, lower-carbon transportation options.”
Payne highlighted that logistics operations present both challenges and opportunities when it comes to emissions management. Given the sector’s dependence on fuel and transportation infrastructure, incremental improvements in routing efficiency, asset utilization, and energy monitoring can lead to significant cumulative environmental benefits.
Forward Air has been increasingly focused on leveraging technology to support these goals. Digital tracking systems, enhanced data analytics, and improved operational forecasting have enabled the company to better align capacity with demand, reducing unnecessary fuel consumption and improving network efficiency.
Industry Context and Sustainability Trends
The transportation and logistics industry is undergoing significant transformation as companies respond to growing environmental expectations from regulators, customers, and investors. Emissions reduction has become a key performance metric, particularly as supply chains face increasing pressure to decarbonize.
Asset-light transportation providers like Forward Air play an important role in this transition, as their business models often rely on optimizing existing infrastructure rather than expanding physical fleets. This structure can create opportunities for efficiency-driven emissions reductions, particularly when combined with advanced logistics planning and data-driven operations.
Industry-wide, companies are investing in alternative fuels, electrification strategies, intermodal optimization, and digital supply chain technologies to reduce carbon intensity. While the pace of transition varies across segments, sustainability rankings such as USA TODAY’s America’s Climate Leaders provide a framework for recognizing measurable progress.
Continued Commitment to Sustainability
Forward Air’s inclusion in the 2026 America’s Climate Leaders list reflects not only past achievements but also the company’s stated commitment to ongoing improvement. The organization has indicated that it will continue to expand its emissions tracking capabilities, refine operational efficiency strategies, and strengthen environmental governance practices.
As regulatory frameworks evolve and customer expectations continue to shift toward lower-carbon logistics solutions, Forward Air is positioning its sustainability strategy as a long-term competitive advantage. The company’s focus remains on balancing operational performance with environmental responsibility while supporting broader industry efforts to reduce transportation-related emissions.
Forward Air’s recognition on USA TODAY’s America’s Climate Leaders 2026 list marks a significant milestone in its sustainability journey. Combined with its improved CDP score and enhanced emissions verification processes, the acknowledgment highlights steady progress in reducing environmental impact while maintaining service efficiency.
With continued investments in data-driven operations, emissions tracking, and efficiency improvements, Forward Air is reinforcing its commitment to delivering reliable logistics solutions that also support a lower-carbon future.
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