What you can do

Living Sustainably

Transport

Fleet management – go green

Over 50% of new vehicles registered in Australia are purchased by fleets. That means employers have a role to play in addressing transport-related greenhouse gas emissions.

The good thing is that effective management of your fleet not only results in a better environment, it can also save you money.

If you have a workplace fleet make sure the vehicles are serviced regularly, in accordance with the manufacturers instructions — well tuned vehicles reduce greenhouse gases by up to 15% through fuel savings. Investigate purchasing or leasing hybrid vehicles – they have low fuel consumption and extremely low greenhouse gas emissions.

Educate and encourage staff to drive safely and efficiently – distribute "fuel saving tips" and offer incentives for meeting workplace targets or cost reduction goals.

Encourage staff to plan and share trips. Avoid unnecessary travel and peak hour traffic. Choose and plan efficient routes, and encourage better trip management so staff can share travel wherever possible.

Car pooling – maximise efficiency and investment

Car pooling means sharing rides with others in a single vehicle. As a transport strategy it can be used as an efficient way of commuting to and from work, and for workplace travel.

A number of car pooling schemes are available for use. However, you may like to investigate establishing a local scheme tailored to your workplace demands. You might find you can join forces with workplaces near you and jointly benefit from the scheme.

Companies that organise car pooling receive a range of benefits including parking efficiencies, increased sociability and cooperation between employees, reduced worker stress levels, improved company image and reduced transport costs.

Find out more about car pooling and its many benefits for the environment, individuals and the community.

Fuel saving – it makes good cents

Tips for saving fuel:

Use the right gear – driving in a gear lower than you need wastes fuel; so does letting the engine labour in top gear on hills and corners
Change through gears and into top gear as soon as possible without accelerating harder than necessary
Ease back on the accelerator – automatic transmissions will shift up more quickly and smoothly if you ease back slightly on the accelerator once the vehicle gathers momentum
Speed kills economy - high speeds = high fuel consumption – at 110 km/h your vehicle uses up to 25% more fuel than it would cruising at 90 km/h
Check the brakes, don't rest your foot on the brake or drive with the handbrake on – this wastes fuel, increases brake wear and decreases braking efficiency
Avoid hard acceleration and heavy braking – driving smoothly and avoiding stop-start traffic saves fuel and up to 30% of greenhouse gas emissions
Switch off and restart your engine when necessary, rather than idling for lengthy periods – it's more fuel-efficient
Don't overfill – filling past the first click of the fuel nozzle means fuel can be lost through the overflow pipe when you accelerate or corner
Make sure your fuel cap fits – minimise fuel loss due to evaporation
Inflate your vehicle's tyres to the highest pressure recommended by the manufacturer and make sure your tyres are properly aligned – tyre care reduces fuel consumption, extends the life of the tyre and improves handling
Use air conditioning sparingly – air conditioners can increase fuel consumption by 10%
Travel light, carry what you need – the more a vehicle carries the more fuel it uses; an extra 50kg of weight can increase your fuel bill by 2%
Remove external fixtures – anything fixed to the outside of the car increases wind resistance and fuel consumption, so remove cargo racks and other equipment when not in use