Fleet Managers Encouraged to ‘Go Green’

Brisbane fleet managers were today encouraged to ‘go green’ at a forum organised by Greenfleet to promote the use of energy efficient vehicles which will save thousands of tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions every year.

The event was sponsored by the Environmental Protection Agency, Q Fleet and RACQ and opened this morning at the Stamford Plaza Hotel.

A number of energy efficient vehicles were on display including hybrid cars that run on a petrol engine and an electric motor and new diesel powered cars that offer a 30% fuel efficiency gain when compared to the equivalent petrol vehicle.

Public Works Minister Robert Schwarten and new Environment Minister Lindy Nelson-Carr both addressed the forum.

Mr Schwarten said the Public Works Department supported initiatives to showcase environmentally friendly options through Q Fleet, which provides vehicles to Queensland Government departments.

“Transport is Australia’s fastest growing source of Greenhouse gas emissions, and we need to look at solutions across the board on how these can be reduced,” Mr Schwarten said.

“QFleet is a signatory to the Greenhouse Challenge Program, a joint initiative of the Federal Government and Australian industry to decrease greenhouse gas emissions.

“QFleet has put in place a package of strategies to reduce vehicle emissions including encouraging departments to lease hybrid or four cylinder vehicles, encouraging the use ethanol fuel, and funding the planting of 433,000 trees under the Greenfleet program to neutralise the carbon dioxide produced by vehicles."

Ms Nelson-Carr said the Environmental Protection Agency currently leased 23 hybrid petrol/electric cars.

“We expect that we can reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 62 tonnes a year, compared with the emissions of a standard six-cylinder vehicle,” Ms Nelson-Carr said.

“In perspective, one car driven 20,000 km per year can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by two-and-a-half tonnes, which is enough gas to physically fill two large homes per year.”

The program also included a forum chaired by the Chairman on the Australian Conservation Foundation, Professor Ian Lowe, with presentations from the former Chief of the CSIRO Division of Atmospheric Research, Dr Graeme Pearman and CSIRO Low Emission Transport Leader David Lamb.

21 September 2006