In its report on ‘Saving fuel, saving costs’, the organisation says that corporate fleet managers have more power over the composition of our atmosphere than most politicians, or even most oil executives. 

It adds that transport is responsible for nearly a quarter of greenhouse gas emissions, and road transport accounts for 72-81% of that. The report also sets out that 45% of the total GHG emissions from road transport in the EU come from company fleets.

In response, the report covers a wide variety of different approaches to reducing fuel consumption and the potential savings available, including switching to electric vehicles and hybrids.

It also sets out the wheel-to-wheel greenhouse gas reductions from switching to electric vehicles or plug-in hybrids, which it says is highly dependent on the assumed carbon intensity of the electricity mix. The GHG reduction potential varies from about 0 to almost 50%, where 10 or 95% of the mileage is driven in the electric mode, respectively. This reduction potential will increase with the further decarbonisation of the electricity mix in a particular country.

The launch of the report comes at the same time as the UK's Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership (LowCVP) launches a Low Emission Van Guide and web tool, to give direct practical guidance to fleet managers choosing between different models and drivetrains in different circumstances. LowCVP’s analysis shows that choosing the correct van can save a business £18,000 over the vehicle’s lifespan.