Reducing CO2 Emissions – Businesses Can Drive Down CO2

In our last post we wrote about how improvements can be made in fuel economy, CO2 emissions and road safety by changing driver behaviour and launched a campaign calling on the Government to incentivise businesses to invest in eco-friendly driving.

It's a stance that's supported by The Environment Council and is echoed by The Institute of Advanced Motorists.

Neil Hawley, Group Sales Director, IAM Drive & Survive believes that telematics is a great way to build up a picture of driving style and, when combined with driver training, has seen businesses save up to 15 per cent on fuel bills and reduce carbon emissions.

"Driver coaching adds real world interaction where actions and improvements can be coached face to face with the driver. Telematics is a great tool to identify training needs and when linked with the experience of on road driver coaching companies will save fuel, reduce carbon emissions and improve road safety." Neil told us.

"Although buying the right vehicle is important, when this is combined with telematics and on road driver training, businesses will be able to achieve optimal performance from both the vehicle and its driver. It is this combined force that will allow businesses to green their fleets and lower their carbon footprint, making it the ideal solution to eco-friendly driving."

At the heart of our campaign is the belief that businesses able to prove they have reduced their carbon footprint should be rewarded – regardless of how they are achieved. The introduction by the Government of financial incentives, such as reduced VED, for businesses using technology and training to improve driver behaviour and prove CO2 emission reductions will surely see more focus from the fleet community.

And more focus is needed. The Environment Council know that to fulfill their mission of making sustainability the norm, behaviour change is needed at all levels of society, in business and at home.

"We are interested in the role that business can play in driving this behaviour change through innovation, support and sharing good practice," said Nigel Homer, CEO of The Environment Council. "Understanding how to drive efficiently not only saves money and cuts carbon emissions, it is also one way in which drivers can learn about environmental issues generally and adopt new behaviours in other areas of their lives."

We say that introducing financial incentives will also demonstrate that the Government understands the current restrictions surrounding ultra-low carbon vehicles in the commercial space and will be seen to be providing a realistic scheme, which all businesses running fleets could get involved in, irrespective of location or size.