Becoming a green champion is just a series of small steps that all add up – to the benefit of the environment and the bottom line argues editor Ralph Morton.What makes a green fleet hero? That’s a good question. The Energy Saving Trust has just run a competition to find out.
It seems that recognising there is a real chance to reduce CO2 emissions is the first step. Thereafter it’s instigating a plan that often doesn’t involve grand gestures; it’s a case of reducing emissions a bit here, shaving some more off there.
The point is, it all adds up.
The winner of the Best Small Fleet category in the Green Fleet Heroes awards was an SME stationery company called Commercial Group.
Commercial Group runs 12 Ford Transit vans, which are out on the road delivering orders to customers. By the simple expediency of using a dynamic routing system – real-time tracking software – the company has removed the need for two van routes.
And reduced the mileage of the other vans by 89,000 miles.
By doing so, not only has the company reduced its carbon footprint, it’s also saved itself a good chunk of money.
It’s just another example of green being good for the bottom line, as well as the environment, by managing transport more efficiently.
So what can you do?
Could your business benefit by taking small steps that all add up? Could your managers or staff work more effectively from home some of the time, for example?
What about choosing cars with lower emissions? Instead of getting employees to run their private cars on business, how about using daily rental cars? Companies like Europcar now grade vehicles on CO2 emissions to make greener choices easier. And how about taking the train, tram or bus sometimes rather than the car?
All these small steps add up. And then every small business can be a green fleet heroes in our own small way.
Further information
- Go to our Downloads section where you can find useful downloadable pdfs on How to reduce your environmental impact and Greener thinking from Audi
- Read the Editor’s Blog Why going green is king
- See the news story BMW wins Green Fleet Hero award
