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The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) recently launched GreenDOT, an environmental responsibility and sustainability initiative.

The primary goals: reduce greenhouse-gas (GHG) emissions; promote healthy transportation options, such as walking, bicycling and public transit; and support "smart growth development," MassDOT officials said in a prepared statement.

The initiative calls for MassDOT to incorporate sustainability elements into all of its activities. GreenDOT includes GHG reduction targets mandated under the state’s Global Warming Solutions Act, which requires an emissions reduction between 10 percent and 25 percent by Jan. 1, 2011. The initiative also sets a goal of reducing GHG emissions by more than 2 million tons by 2020.

Through the initiative, MassDOT aims to achieve the GHG reductions via a range of measures, such as developing projects — including those involving rail — that promote public transit,  and investing in more efficient fleet vehicles and renewable energy.