In this special Power List, we reveal the 25 people who are the driving force behind the green revolution in fleet.

They range from fleet decision-makers to Government Ministers, and from suppliers to industry experts, but they are joined by a common cause – these are the people who are driving environmental change in the fleet market and they will continue to be at the forefront of that change in future.

These 25 figures are only a small part of the army of people that are enabling and introducing changes that are helping to make fleets cleaner, more efficient and safer, but they were chosen because their work stands out for its impact on the industry.

Their ideas and inspiration have saved millions of pounds for some businesses by reducing carbon emissions and also reducing costs.

The Green Power List 2009 was compiled by Fleet News staff and key contributors, focusing on the people who are helping the industry do more by using less.

It began with a detailed review of the industry, looking at the key changes and trends of the past year. We considered who the key influencers have been and examined how far their message could stretch and who could follow their example.

Every part of the industry was considered and in selecting the entrants to the list, we looked in detail at the work of each person and considered how it had influenced the fleet market in particular.

Among the key issues we considered was the number of people who could be influenced by their message and the potential for people to act on what they said.

After reviewing the industry - and after much debate - the list was reduced to around 30 candidates for the key positions and further discussion allowed us to pick the 25 people who would make the final list.

This was followed by discussion to decide the order each person would take in the Power List.

Position was graded according to range of influence, innovation, impact on the industry, long-term strategy and potential to make a further impact on the industry in future.

As you will see, the list covers Government, industry and businesses large and small, with several well-known figures, but others that work behind the scenes who still have just as big an impact.

Together they represent an important statement about the modern fleet industry. The environment is no longer on the sidelines when it comes to fleet management.

Green fleet management now lies at the heart of any successful business, as it keeps costs and emissions down, which directly benefits the business bottom line and makes companies fitter and stronger for a challenging economic future ahead.

If you have a view on this year’s Power List or think someone else should have been included, then email stephen.briers@bauermedia.co.uk to register your view.

Driving down CO2

It isn’t just the members of the Green Power List that are driving change – most fleets are trying to make a difference.

In the UK, a fifth of fleets now include at least one green vehicle.

This trend is even stronger among companies with more than 1,000 staff, with over half (55%) having vehicles with fuel-efficient labels on the fleet and more than 40% using hybrids.

According to the Corporate Vehicle Observatory, business approval for ‘green’ vehicles is likely to grow in the future, with 68% of fleets saying they will shift to low-CO2 brands and models in the next two years.