According
to the International Energy Agency, the transport sector accounted for 23% of
CO2 emissions worldwide in 2013, making it the second biggest emitter after the
Electricity and Heat Generation sector. Road vehicle emissions represented 75%
of these emissions.
According
to the Association for Safe International Road Travel, nearly 1.3 million
people die in road crashes each year. Given this data, it is clear that actors
from the transportation sector and the automotive industry in particular have
great responsibility towards the environment and society. Arval, as a leader of
the full-service leasing industry, with a fleet of 949,000 vehicles, does not
escape this statement.
Vehicle
leasing companies, because of the nature of their business, can have a very
particular role to play. Corporates that benefit from vehicle leasing services
can rely on a close and trustful relationship developed along the whole
lifetime of their contracts with their supplier, as well as its expertise on
mobility.
This
particular relationship allows them to develop proactive solutions to face
their environmental and social issues linked to the mobility of their
employees. The beneficiaries are not only the institutions that pay for the
leasing services, they are also the individuals who manage the fleet and the
drivers who use the vehicles on a daily basis. That is why Arval proposes a
complete offer of mobility optimisation solutions which give evidence every day
of their effectiveness in all areas of Sustainable Development.
Optimisation
starts by the choice of vehicles adapted to the need of the company and what
use drivers will do with these vehicles. Receiving advice from experts on the
latest innovations in engine efficiency and alternative fuel, Corporates can
choose the vehicles that best suit their needs. Electric car development will
be a major factor of transport sector de-carbonisation but improvements are
still to be made for electric to become the main source of cars energy.
Due to
the technological and infrastructure limits, electric vehicles currently
represent only a small share of the market. However, they already are a
competitive solution for some specific needs. For instance, when drivers travel
for short distances within urban territories, electric cars already represent a
perfectly rational economic choice as well as an environmentally respectful
one.
Besides
the choice of vehicles, developing an efficient Company Mobility Plan is
another activity in which the leaser can help. The idea is once again to
optimise the mobility of the people by taking into account all possible modes
of transportation, including public transports, and new solutions such as car
sharing. Thanks to this approach, Corporates can rationalise their travel
costs, reduce their carbon footprint while bringing to their people efficient
mobility solutions and thus, making their life easier.
The transportation sector and the automotive industry in particular have great responsibility towards the environment and society.
Managing
a fleet is a complex task and providing tools to understand it all is part of
the leaser mission. Thanks to a consultative approach, the leaser supports
Corporates in further reducing their CO2 emissions and costs. The first step of
this approach is to calculate the fuel expenses over a year as well as the
equivalent amount of CO2 emitted.
Development of digital tools such as
telematics eases the production of detailed analysis of overall fleet costs and
carbon emissions but also of individual drivers’ behaviors. Following on from
this analysis, companies and Arval, jointly, are able to establish quantitative
reductions targets. The second step is to provide Corporates with solutions to
reach these objectives. Among them, specific attention is given towards the
drivers whose behavior has great impact. Raising awareness through dedicated
campaigns within the customers’ organization and providing drivers with
environmentally respectful driving training has shown positive results in both
reducing the cost associated to fuel consumption and carbon emissions. The
third and final step is to produce regular reports to ensure that performance
maintains over time.
Road
Safety is another issue directly related to the leaser activity. Road accidents
cost money and above all, they can have dramatic consequences on individuals.
That is why many efforts have to be made to reduce the risk of accident and
once again the leaser can support Corporates in this task. A similar
consultative approach than the one used for carbon emissions has proven to be
an effective strategy. Raising awareness and train drivers to safer driving
behavior are key factors to avoid accidents. From repeated experiences with
different customers, Arval has observed that several years after the program
was implemented, the number of drivers without any incidents tend to double.
The fewer incidents that happen, the fewer chances for accidents to be very
serious and lethal.
Raising awareness through dedicated campaigns within the customers’ organisation and providing drivers with environmentally respectful driving training has shown positive results in both reducing the cost associated to fuel consumption and carbon emissions.
Accompany
its customers in implementing effective mobility solutions, respectful of the
environment, careful for its people while reducing cost associated to mobility
is at the heart of Arval’s mission. Sustainable Development is incorporated at
every level of Arval’s business.