In today’s eco-conscious world, businesses are increasingly looking to be more environmentally friendly. In fact, research from Optus shows 80% of Australians believe that businesses have a responsibility to address climate change and environmental issues.
And, if your business relies on a fleet of vehicles, fuel cards can be a powerful tool to help you meet your sustainability goals. Here’s a closer look at how the right fuel card program can help you meet your business’s sustainability goals.
What Are Fleet Sustainability Goals?
When we talk about fleet sustainability goals, we mean the efforts to reduce the environmental impact of your vehicle fleet. This includes using less fuel, cutting down on emissions, and adopting greener practices overall. Achieving these goals not only helps the planet but also saves money, boosts your company’s reputation, and shows your commitment to corporate social responsibility.
3 Reasons Your Business Should Care About Sustainability
- Helps the Environment: By reducing pollution and emissions, businesses can contribute to cleaner air and a healthier planet. Cutting down on fuel consumption directly reduces the amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere.
- Improves Your Bottom Line: Improved fuel efficiency and regular maintenance can lower overall costs. Efficient driving and better route planning can save a significant amount of fuel. Plus, government incentives for using green technologies can further reduce expenses (like the Driving the Nation Program).
- Boosts Your Reputation: Companies that commit to sustainability can attract customers who value eco-friendly practices, enhance their brand image, and differentiate themselves from competitors. Being seen as a green business can be a powerful marketing tool.
How Fuel Cards Can Help Meet Sustainability Targets
Fuel cards are a powerful tool for businesses looking to hit their sustainability targets. They provide detailed insights into fuel usage and vehicle performance, helping you manage and optimise your fleet’s fuel consumption effectively. Here’s how fuel cards can make a difference:
Detailed Data Tracking
Fuel cards offer comprehensive tracking of all fuel purchases. This means you can keep a close eye on how much fuel is being used, when, and where. With this data, you can spot patterns and inefficiencies, making it easier to cut down on waste and emissions. For example, if you notice that certain routes are leading to higher fuel consumption, you can adjust them to be more efficient.
Improved Fuel Management
Using the data from fuel cards, businesses can manage their fuel usage more effectively. Many fuel cards come with online tools that let you set limits, monitor real-time usage, and get alerts for any unusual activity. This level of control ensures fuel is used efficiently, helping to reduce unnecessary consumption and lower emissions.
Enhanced Reporting and Compliance
Fuel cards simplify reporting by providing detailed and accurate records of fuel usage. This transparency is crucial for meeting your sustainability goals. You can easily create reports on fuel consumption and emissions, helping you track progress and show your commitment to sustainability.
Cost Savings
Better fuel management doesn’t just help the environment—it also saves your business money. By reducing fuel consumption, your business can see a substantial decrease in overall operational costs. Less fuel used means lower fuel expenses, which directly impacts your bottom line.
Support for Alternative Power Sources
Many fuel card providers are now including things like electric vehicle (EV) charging in their respective stations. This is great news for businesses who might be looking to transition their fleet to an EV fleet in the near future. Fuel cards can provide access in the future to a network of EV charging stations and offer incentives for using greener powering options, making the transition to sustainable energy sources easier.
Partnering with Telematics Companies
To get the most out of fuel cards, many providers team up with telematics companies. This partnership combines the strengths of both technologies to create a powerful tool for managing your fleet. Telematics systems give you real-time information on vehicle location, speed, fuel use, and driver behaviour. When this data is paired with the detailed fuel usage info from fuel cards, you get a complete picture of your fleet’s performance.
This combination helps you:
- Monitor Performance: Keep a close eye on how your fleet is doing overall.
- Optimise Routes: Plan the best routes to save fuel and reduce emissions.
- Improve Driver Behaviour: Encourage safer and more efficient driving habits.
Australian Fuel Card Programs Helping Businesses Hit Sustainability Targets
There are several Australian fuel card providers helping Aussie businesses meet sustainability goals through various schemes attached to their fuel card programs.
Viva Energy
Viva Energy (parent company to Shell) has introduced a new opt-in program to help Shell Card customers reduce their emissions and meet sustainability targets by offsetting the emissions from their fuel purchases.
From 2024, all Shell Card customers can join the Opt-in Carbon Neutral Products Program. Viva Energy will buy and retire carbon credits from Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs) and selected international projects. Shell Card customers can choose to offset using 100% Australian units or a mix of Australian and international units.
Chief Business Development and Sustainability Officer at Viva Energy Lachlan Pfeiffer said, “Direct emission reductions are not always available immediately, and carbon offsets are a way of achieving lower net-carbon outcomes quickly and efficiently – particularly for businesses operating in sectors that are harder to abate and where technological pathways to lower emissions are likely to take some time to be commercial.
“This is an excellent interim solution for businesses looking to take meaningful action to offset their emissions while supporting projects with positive environmental, economic and social benefits.”
This program supports various projects that help reduce emissions, such as reforestation, renewable energy, and methane capture from landfills.
Ampol
Earlier this year, Ampol introduced Australia’s first carbon neutral petrol and diesel option to help select customers offset their fuel emissions. This pilot program allows businesses to purchase carbon credits from projects that benefit regional farmers and communities, with options for 100% Australian projects.
Certified by Climate Active, this initiative supports Ampol’s commitment to sustainability while providing a practical interim solution for reducing carbon footprints. The pilot will run for three months, targeting various sectors like mining, transport, and energy, before potentially expanding to more customers.
Ampol Executive General Manager (Commercial) Brent Merrick said that the introduction of Ampol’s carbon neutral fuel option is aimed at providing customers a transparent and flexible carbon neutral offering that can help them achieve their decarbonisation goals.
“Carbon mitigation forms a key part of our Future Energy and Decarbonisation Strategy. While we continue our important work to explore new lower emissions transport solutions for our customers, our carbon neutral fuel option provides an interim solution for customers who are looking to offset emissions from their consumption of fuel and help support important environment and community projects in Australia and overseas.”
FleetCard
FleetCard also introduced a carbon offset program for Australian customers in early 2024, partnering with Greenfleet. As the first multi-branded fuel card in the country to do so, FleetCard helps businesses offset their fleet emissions through forest restoration projects.
These projects support Australia’s unique biodiversity, crucial for a resilient ecosystem amid increasing extreme weather. Greenfleet’s reforestation efforts, like the Aroona site in Queensland and Glendalough in Victoria, restore native habitats and capture carbon emissions. Since partnering with Greenfleet, FleetCard has contributed to over 20 reforestation sites, showing a strong commitment to environmental conservation and climate action.
8 Tips for Reaching Your Sustainability Goals
- Set clear and realistic goals that you can actually reach. For example, try cutting fuel use by 10% in a year. Having specific targets keeps everyone focused and motivated.
- Pick a fuel card provider that aligns with your sustainability goals. Look for ones that offer data integration with telematics, support for alternative fuels, and tools for tracking fuel efficiency and emissions.
- Use telematics systems along with fuel cards to get real-time data on fuel consumption, vehicle location, and driver behaviour. This combo helps you optimise routes, monitor driving habits, and cut down on fuel waste.
- Regular maintenance keeps your vehicles running efficiently, which reduces fuel consumption and emissions. Use data from fuel cards and telematics to schedule maintenance at the right times.
- Provide training on eco-friendly driving techniques and involve your team in sustainability initiatives. Recognize and reward those who help meet your sustainability targets.
- Use data to plan the most efficient routes, minimising the distance travelled and fuel used. This not only cuts down on emissions but also improves delivery times.
- Regularly check your progress using key performance indicators (KPIs). This way, you can see what’s working and what needs a tweak to stay on track.
- Share your progress with your team and customers. Being open builds trust and shows everyone you’re serious about going green. Plus, it can inspire others to follow your lead.
Find the Right Fuel Card to Power Your Business
Ready to save money and go green? Discover the right fuel card to fuel your business today. Fuel cards offer great savings, detailed expense tracking, and support for sustainability initiatives.
Whether you’re looking to offset emissions, earn rewards, or simply streamline your fuel management, there’s a fuel card for your business.
Take the next step towards a more efficient and environmentally friendly fleet. Check your eligibility and find the perfect fuel card to power your business forward.
