Many businesses are already in the process of implementing green business strategies - including promoting teleworking policies, buying green products, and implementing energy efficient workspaces and buildings.
Yet, one of the most environmentally detrimental aspects of doing business in a country as vast as the U.S - is your business fleet.
Whether you operate a fleet of delivery vehicles, company cars or limousine services - you probably already have your pulse on the operational costs of that vehicle, but what about the environmental cost?
In the U. S. alone there are almost six million company owned vehicles on the road today - producing 90 million tons of carbon pollution each year.
Just imagine if you could reduce the operational cost of your fleet vehicles (to the tune of thousands of dollars each year) while doing your share for the environment!
We all know the benefits of driving hybrid or "green" vehicles; however the upfront costs of purchasing these vehicles, particularly for small businesses, can be high. But there are alternatives - and you’d be surprised at how much money you end up saving.
5 Steps to a Greener Fleet
Spearheading an initiative to help small business owners increase the efficiency of their fleets is the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF).
Described by The Economist as "...America's most economically literate green campaigners", EDF suggests that greening your fleet can be as simple as making a few simple changes to just one fleet vehicle such as picking the right size car for the job, planning an efficient route, regularly checking tire pressure, reducing idling and removing everything you don’t need from the vehicle’s trunk or payload.
The result? A saving of two metric tons of carbon pollution per year and up to $700 in related business costs per vehicle!
Of course, each fleet is different, and oftentimes businesses simply can’t rely on their drivers to play their part in greening the corporate fleet.
So to help business owners better assess and reduce fleet emissions and costs, EDF has developed an interactive Five-Step Green Fleet Framework to help fleet managers develop a strategic roadmap for lowering costs and greening their fleets. Beginning with a Fleet Greenhouse Gas Emissions Calculator, businesses can calculate their fleet emissions, learn how to optimize and improve the use of their fleet, and track progress.
Getting Everyone on Board the "Green Fleet"
Saying it and doing it are two different things, especially when it comes to making green choices - which is why EDF encourages companies to educate and even incent drivers to make good on its overarching "green fleet" strategy.
Take healthcare company Novo Nordisk, whose commitment to environmental responsibility sometimes conflicts with the desires of its sales people, who spend a lot of time on the road, to enjoy a big and comfortable but not necessarily efficient vehicle.
To discourage this, the company increased its "personal use fee" for drivers who opted for larger vehicles and launched a driver-training program. The results were immediate, in the first six months the fleet’s average fuel efficiency increased 2.6% - which meant avoiding emissions of over 700 metric tons of carbon dioxide.
While these approaches were the "stick" needed to change behaviors, Novo Nordisk also wanted a "carrot" - so they are looking to add more modern and fuel efficient vehicles (not necessarily hybrids) to their fleets.
Looking for more information about how to green your business fleet? Check out these resources:
- Greenhouse Gas Management for Medium-Duty Truck Fleets (PDF) - A white paper that explores EDF’s framework for improving fleet efficiency and reducing emissions.
- EDF Fleet Vehicles Blog - Up-to-the-minute industry news, resources and insights on green fleet management.
Other Green Business Guides
These resources and articles include more information on adopting green business practices across your company:
- Green Business Guide - This guide from Business.gov includes a wealth of resources on how small businesses can introduce, finance and benefit from green business practices.
- Ten Steps to Adopt Environmentally-Friendly Business Practices - Provides information on implementing an environmental strategy for your business, including steps to becoming energy efficient, compliant with environmental regulations and a recognized "green business."
- Financing the 'Greening' of Your Small Businesses
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