A GROUND-breaking scheme to encourage fleets to 'go green' was presented to fleet managers at the Association of Car Fleet Operators annual general meeting and conference. The voluntary Green Fleet Certification Scheme - the latest idea to come from the Government's Cleaner Vehicles Task Force - aims to show that greener fleet management can be good business practice.

It could be up and running next year if there is enough support from companies and a detailed outline of the scheme was handed out at the ACFO meeting. Under the scheme, fleets would earn a certificate if they met individual targets for cutting vehicle mileage or fuel use - based on business mileage only.

Although the certification scheme is still at the development stage, ACFO members heard that each fleet taking part would have an environmental assessment, from which annual mileage and fuel consumption targets would be set, with a certificate given each time targets were met. There would also be an optional challenge for introducing low emission vehicles, starting at 10% of the fleet and rising to a maximum award level of 30%.