Zero emission vehicles and alternative fuels

Rethinking your logistics - the planning and implementation of moving goods and supplying services - can help you reduce your environmental impact.

If your business transports either your own or another organisation's freight, improving your systems may benefit your business and reduce your impact on the environment.

Sustainable logistics

If your business is making and receiving deliveries to and from a warehouse, it might make sense to have one central distribution centre. This could be cost-effective and has less environmental impact than a dispersed distribution system.

To reduce your carbon footprint further you should also consider the journeys that suppliers of goods and services make to and from your premises. You could aim to use local businesses where possible and check out your suppliers' environmental credentials by asking to see their environmental reports and policies - see supply chain efficiency and environmental impact.

Reducing fuel use

Fuel can account for at least 30 per cent of operating costs of most road freight transport operations, so you should start by improving fuel management. The most basic way to reduce fuel bills and lowers accident rates is by driving more efficiently. More efficient driving can produce around 15 per cent reduction in fuel use and CO2 emissions, and increase electric vehicles range by 20 per cent.

You can find information and resources to help your business lower its costs, while reducing the carbon emissions from your organisation’s vehicles and employee travel with the Energy Saving Trust.

By sourcing blends of renewable fuel you can reduce the carbon intensity of your fleet. Operators can get independent assurance of purchasing sustainable, low carbon fuels approved under the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO), and customer supply chain specific greenhouse gas emission performance data through the Renewable Fuels Assurance Scheme.