THE BUSINESS TRAVEL MAGAZINE I 39 The Review THE GREEN WATCH ➔ Driving sustainable car rental adoption


MUCH of our business travel requirements depends upon road transport, particularly within the UK, writes Roger Gardner. Few of us, however, will be


likely to use buses and coaches – except perhaps for transiting from airport to city centre – and instead we tend to resort to our own personal vehicles or a car rental. While there are some green options in the use of taxis (Climate Cars, for example, in London), but if you have any great distance to cover or require flexibility beyond 24 hours, you are likely to get a rental car. But how many of us think about the environmental implications of that choice? The ‘ethical traveller’, usually associated with the leisure travel market, is now flexing muscles in the corporate travel world too. And, increasingly, car rental providers are starting to consider and market more choices from a green standpoint. Cost will remain the key driver,


of course, especially in harsh economic times, but many companies are now actively counting, controlling and reducing their carbon footprints. Some corporates have specific policies that car hire contracts should be with suppliers offering the least environmentally damaging cars. Usually, CSR strategies sit comfortably alongside cost control strategies and if your company increasingly favours public transport or cheaper classes of transportation, the


environment will invariably benefit from your preferences. Aside from reducing cost, companies are also actively seeking the cachet of sustainability branding, accreditation and awards. The Institute of Travel & Meetings (ITM) runs the ICARUS project, a toolkit that helps companies to reduce business travel-related carbon emissions and be recognised by progression through various award levels. Rental cars are being factored


into such planning and that is starting to have an impact upon fleets. So, with CSR


progressively being absorbed into business culture, not least for annual carbon emissions monitoring, rental car performance really does matter. Being green and, almost as


importantly, being seen to be green, is a corporate attribute that appeals to customers and shareholders alike. You can certainly rent a luxury


or SUV vehicle but consider, for a moment, the environmental penalty relative to selecting something that is smaller and greener. A typical larger


“Being green and, almost as importantly, being seen to be green, is an attribute that appeals to customers“


saloon or executive rental car will have a


CO2 performance of between 150-180g/km while a small hatch will be nearer to 100g/km. Multiply this up at company- wide level and there are some big savings to be achieved. What's


more, you will have the warm glow of having acted in an envi- ronmentally responsible manner. Some rental companies have opted to base their business model upon the attractions of ‘going green’, sporting cars with


impressive CO2 performance of less than 100g/km. Many companies have added to


the low-carbon end of their fleet range and a few have gone further by introducing hybrid cars


such as the Toyota Pruis. And to confirm their commitment to the environment, some rental firms offset the carbon from their fleets. Of course, the choices you make


– or your company imposes upon you – are likely to extend only to rental car cost and category. Nobody is yet asking for rental


cars to be speed limited like some lorries or display ‘Responsibly driven?’ stickers. But there are further measures


that individuals can take. Simple things like turning off your engine while waiting at lights or planning the optimal route to achieve driving efficiency can both add up in terms of carbon savings. At present it is only good practice and CSR that act as the driver for sustainable behaviour in car rental choice. But it is not unreasonable to imagine that a harder-edged incentive may arise at some point. Fuel efficiency and environmental performance have been central to the aviation industry for many years and now included in the controversial European Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS). The logic is that this measure is rolled out across other business sectors, though the logistics of incorporating road transport are daunting. Perhaps that is a long way off right now, but lean thinking in rental car policy could pay double dividends in the future. Best to start now.


48 I THE BUSINESS TRAVEL MAGAZINE


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