Organisations are seeking ways of developing more sustainable business travel for several interrelated reasons. Companies need to stay ahead of evolving national and local legislation, while employees increasingly expect ‘on-demand’ and technically-enabled services, and if possible, ways to reduce their emissions when travelling for work.
And there is, of course, continuous pressure to reduce overall operational efficiency.
Tasked with delivering measurable progress on decarbonisation goals, chief sustainability officers (CSOs) are looking for every opportunity to make genuine progress towards delivering sustainable business policies as well as to demonstrate the impact of measures they have introduced.
It is possible to make some ‘quick wins’ around fleet and ground transportation if CSOs and fleet managers view their requirements holistically. Thinking outside the box and looking beyond traditional approaches can yield significant and measurable results.
There is now growing evidence of the potential of on-site car clubs in helping to reduce emissions from employee travel. One example is the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl), which operates an on-site car club of nearly 100 vehicles deployed at three locations in Wiltshire and Hampshire.
This has reduced business mileage by an estimated 372,000 miles and saved more than 100 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) supply chain emissions within a 12-month period by significantly reducing the need for vehicle deliveries and collections.
On-board telematics technology in car club vehicles, along with sophisticated reporting tools, facilitate data collection that clearly demonstrates the impact of this type of approach, both in terms of reduced emissions and mileage.
It’s this clarity around data that makes dedicated car clubs an easy win for organisations looking for ways to quantify and clarify how they are making their operations more sustainable. These benefits don’t occur organically: it requires a focused, consultative approach to deliver customised solutions that traditional approaches to employee mobility cannot match.
On-site travel solutions also help change employee behaviour, acting as a catalyst for better travel habits to further reduce mileage and emissions. Evidence from Dstl’s implementation shows that employees commute less by car, for example, because they know there’s a vehicle at the office if they need one for a business trip.
This echoes what the NHS found on increasing its shuttle bus service along key transport routes in Hull, which was instrumental in helping staff change how they commuted to work, reducing the number of journeys made by private cars by 13%. Similar findings occurred at a pilot run by Imperial College London, with employees moving away from private car use in favour of on-site car club vehicles when they were made available.
It’s not just large fleets that can employ this approach. Any organisation with employees who drive personal cars for work, or that is running a pool car fleet, can potentially benefit from an on-site car club. CSOs looking for easy wins could do worse than starting there.
Andy Bland is head of business rental development UK and Ireland for Enterprise Mobility
