University Honda has earned the Honda Environmental Leadership Award and has been recognized by American Honda, as a leader in the company’s effort to reduce the environmental impact of Honda dealerships in communities around the nation. University Honda was among the first Honda automobile dealers to receive the award.

University Honda earned the award for achieving specific environmental targets that include reducing total energy use at the dealership by at least 10 percent, developing a water conservation plan, and implementing Honda’s recycling program.

“We’re extremely proud to be part of Honda’s global effort to help preserve and protect the environment,” said a news release from the dealer. “Our customers already benefit from owning a fuel-efficient Honda vehicle, but now they have the extra piece of mind, knowing that they’re doing business with a local Honda dealer that is committed to reducing its environmental impact in the community.”

University Honda has taken numerous steps to reduce its environmental impact and to earn the Honda Environmental Leadership Award.

Honda introduced its new voluntary “green dealer” program to its U.S. dealers in the fall of 2011. The company uses a third-party evaluator to conduct environmental audits of participating dealers and recommend strategies for reducing their energy use.

Over the past three decades, Honda has been working to reduce the environmental impact of its products, manufacturing and logistics operations, and facilities in North America. These initiatives are reported annually in the company’s North American Environmental Report. Expanding its environmental initiatives to its dealer body is the logical next step in the company’s effort to reduce waste, energy use and CO2 emissions across the full spectrum of its operations and throughout the lifecycle of Honda products, including at the point of sale.

University Honda is a full service Honda dealership, providing its Davis customers with high-quality sales and service support since 1978. The dealer, at 4343 Chiles Road in Davis, is a three-time winner of Honda’s President’s Award, is regularly voted by Davis Enterprise readers as “best car dealership” in Yolo County and was honored as the Davis Chamber of Commerce 2005 Business of the Year.

Honda is a leader in the development of leading-edge technologies to improve fuel efficiency and reduce CO2 emissions. Honda has led the Union of Concerned Scientists’ rankings of overall vehicle environmental performance since 2000, and a Honda vehicle has topped the list of America’s greenest vehicles from the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy  for eleven out of the past twelve years. The company leads all automakers with eleven LEED-Certified “Green Buildings” in North America, and last year announced that ten of its 14 North American manufacturing facilities has achieved zero waste to landfill.

In 2006, Honda became the first automaker to announce voluntary CO2 emissions reduction targets for its global fleet of automobile, power sports and power equipment products and its global network of manufacturing plants. Today, the company is striving for even greater reductions in CO2 emissions that contribute to global climate change, while also working to minimize waste, water use and the total environmental footprint of its operations worldwide.

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University Honda owner Doug Malinoff shows off the solar panels on the roof of his South Davis dealership. Fred Gladdis/Enterprise photo

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In front of a Civic Plug-in Hybrid, Steven Center, left, vice president of American Honda’s Environmental Business Development Office congratulates University Honda owner Doug Malinoff for receiving Honda’s Environmental Leadership Award. Fred Gladdis/Enterprise photo

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