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My company E-Training World, along with many other companies working within the fleet industry, is a finalist in the Green Fleet awards. Although I am proud that once again we have been shortlisted, it has got me thinking about why companies are going green. Or are they?
Surely companies are putting green policies in place because they care about the environment? Do we really believe that? No. Companies are only green because in my opinion - (a) it saves them money e.g. fuel savings and (b) because it makes them look good. I remember visiting a company a while ago and coffee was served in china mugs. The next time I visited the coffee came in plastic cups. When I asked: "What happened to the china mugs?", the reply was: "The Environment Agency was visiting last time you came."
Are company car drivers, driving lower-powered cars because they care about the planet or because of the tax benefits? Answers on the back of a £20 note please.
So if we are all embracing green initiatives because it saves money, all we have to do is tell customers it is a green service or product and they will write the cheque! Back in the real world, companies will spend money on china mugs or a few plants for the reception and even put up a few notices and perhaps tell staff to switch off lights when not in use. However to get them to invest in training for drivers, that will not only make the company greener but will keep their employees and other road users safe is an uphill struggle. Why?
The problem is in the past most driver training companies have marketed their courses using the fear factor - if you don't provide training for your drivers, you will go directly to jail and they will throw away the key! Now we are asking them to believe that investing in training will give them a return on their investment.
Being a green business to me is not about how many yucca plants you have in your reception, it is about how you use energy within your premises and more importantly how your staff travel or indeed reduce their business travel. Does every meeting need to be face to face? Are you even at the stage where you need a meeting? I have been asked to attend thousands of meetings over the last 20-plus years I have been in the fleet industry, only to be told when I get there, "we are at the early stages of our review, we only want information at the moment'" They could have got that information from the internet, but instead they wanted me to do 200-mile round trip.
I am looking forward to the Green Fleet awards and congratulate all the winners, but I do feel that we as an industry, need to pay more than 'lip service' to being green and have a good hard look in the mirror.
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