Use GPS Vehicle Tracking to Reach Sustainability Goals

In New Zealand and around the world there’s been a noticeable tilt towards environmental sustainability in business and government goals. The New Zealand government are working to set up an independent Climate Change Commission and introduce a Zero Carbon Act with the aim of a net zero emissions economy by 2050. Meanwhile in Paris last year, the One Planet Summit brought together 225 of the world’s largest institutional investors to launch a campaign to pressure big businesses into taking more action to reduce emissions.

Fleet management and the environment may not seem the most obvious match, but many fleets are using GPS vehicle tracking systems to achieve their environmental sustainability goals. GPS vehicle trackers can benefit the environment through their ability to integrate with other technologies to track and record data around fuel usage, idling, and carbon emissions. Vehicle tracking assists in enhancing route planning, improving driver behaviour, and reducing the fleet pool through effective management. The insights gained from vehicle tracking can assist in making smart and sustainable decisions for the fleet.

Two organisations set great examples in their green approach to fleet management. The fleet management teams at Apex Insurance in New Zealand and Churches of Christ in Queensland show strong initiative in contributing to a more environmentally friendly business.

Vehicle tracking minimises wastage and tracks CO2 data

Apex Insurance is the first insurance broker to be certified under the internationally accredited greenhouse gas certification programme, carboNZeroCert™. The company takes sustainability seriously and wanted a line in the sand to measure its carbon footprint.

“Our fleet is one of our largest expenses, so it is important we can minimise wastage, which improves profit, is better for the environment, and means a sustainable long-term future for our business,” says James McGhie, Managing Director of Apex Insurance. He adds that any surplus carbon is offset through carbon credits which Apex uses for New Zealand’s native forest regeneration.

Tracking technology allows the company to understand more about how its vehicles are being used so they can reduce fuel wastage, idling time, and inefficient routing. The detailed telematics data gives them quantifiable numbers, so they can confidently report their impact and the offsets needed.

Telematics assists with introducing electric vehicles

At the 2017 AFMA awards, care and community services group Churches of Christ in Queensland took out the Fleet Environment Award. The award is for outstanding achievement in running a green fleet as part of a sustainability fleet policy.

As Richard Schuster explains in this video, environmental sustainability is a major focus for the organisation, which operates around 600 vehicles. Telematics data gives him insight into fleet utilisation, which helps him make decisions around what types of vehicles are needed and mange unnecessary travel. With the help of a telematics system, they introduced electric vehicles (EV’s) into the fleet.

The appearance of the electric vehicles sparked a lot of positive conversation with the local community, who had all sorts of questions about using the vehicles. The branded EV’s send a strong message about the organisation as a whole by representing their commitment to the environment and the wellbeing of people. The organisation’s main building can produce 200 kilowatts of solar power from roof mounted panels, which allows them to charge their EV’s sustainably. For the emissions that the organisation can’t reduce, they have offset by planting around 7,000 native trees representing 1,850 tonnes of CO2.

Schuster’s message to businesses considering sustainable changes to their fleet is: “Don’t be afraid about the cost side, because sustainability can be a cost saver as well as a benefit to the environment — if implemented well and managed well. People look at it and go ‘it’s too expensive to implement sustainability initiatives’. We’re proving that wrong.”

GPS tracking gives you the management tools and in-depth insight needed to run a productive, green fleet.

Is your business focusing on sustainability and the environment in 2018? Come chat to us about the data you need to make smart, green decisions.