Andrew Yeoman, managing director of Trimble MRM Europe believes the best way to cut back on a business’s carbon footprint is to reward eco-friendly driving with bonuses and gifts.

Yeoman says companies must step up their efforts to reduce their fleet’s carbon footprints and while there’s technology available to help monitor fuel consumption, it inevitably comes down to the way a vehicle is driven.

“Fleets are becoming increasingly efficient but the biggest task still remains – to make them more environmentally friendly,” says Yeoman.

“Current technology including Trimble’s TVG660 – or ‘Driver DNA’ as it has been nicknamed – can monitor a vehicle’s fuel consumption, mpg and CO2 output in real time. This kind of technology is leading the way in monitoring a fleet’s carbon footprint but part of the responsibility still lies with the drivers.

With a range of penalties now in place for driving particularly fuel-hungry vehicles or even in certain urban areas, it is becoming a punitive rather than rewarding system for going green.

“If drivers are going to make their contribution, incentives can be an option – although many want to drive greener, it can drop down the priority list as the day goes on. If companies start rewarding their drivers for eco-friendly behaviour an improvement can undoubtedly be seen.”

One litre of fuel produces more than 2.5kg of CO2. In a large fleet of 25,000 vehicles that totals 63 tonnes of CO2 per litre of fuel.

The Government’s ‘Act on CO2’ campaign offers tips to drivers on how to reduce their carbon footprint when out on the road and tame those with heavy feet. But Yeoman says also offering rewards for using these driving skills may see the biggest benefit.

“The campaign lists driving at an appropriate speed, accelerating and braking smoothly, changing gears at low revs and avoiding use of air conditioning as key tips. These are all simple driving skills and using technology can make it ever easier for companies to monitor who deserves a reward.

“It is very important that companies and individuals take responsibility for the green credentials of their fleet. Using carrot rather than stick methods will certainly help with this and start embedding eco-friendly behaviour into fleets in the long term.”

To learn more about eco driving, come to the fleet news co2 emissions section

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