When it comes to reporting on their carbon footprint, fleets can face something of a moral dilemma.
Should they aim for an accurate number or one that relies on manufacturers’ official figures?
Our FleetWave software enables either method to be used, so it is something that we see fleets wrestle with from time-to-time, the issue being that the more accurate “real world” figure is inevitably much higher, usually by between a third and a half.
It is an issue that has been made more acute with the greenhouse gas reporting rules included in The Companies Act 2006 that means around 1,000 companies listed on the London Stock Exchange must now include detailed emissions information on all transport activity they undertake.
If you are being measured against peer fleets, at least some of which will probably opt for the less accurate, manufacturer method, then you will inevitably look out of touch by aiming for a result that actually shows you have a much better grasp of what is happening on your fleet.
Effectively, you are being penalised for providing better management information.
The answer, it seems to me, is that as an industry we should standardise on the more accurate method of measuring fleet carbon footprint.
Surely fleets should opt to use better better quality information if they want to successfully drive CO2 down further still in the future?
The “real world” calculation that we use at Chevin is to work out the carbon output of a vehicle based on how much fuel it has consumed.
It is simple and effective, can be used by any organisation, and provides a strong platform for future fleet policy decisions designed to drive down CO2.