Presentation at TRAILBLAZER Final Conference Prague April 2013

Presented by: Donald Chalker

Funding:

STEER – INTELLIGENT ENERGY EUROPE (IEE)

Full title:

ECOSTARS Europe ECOSTARS 04/06/2012

End date:

May 2014

The Concept

Free local membership schemes:  Managed by cities or regions  Targeted at operators of vehicle fleets (trucks, vans and buses)  Recognition of best practice in clean and energy efficient operations  Guidance and advice provided to members on how further environmental improvements can be achieved

Membership Target Audience

     Freight operators Passenger transport operators Service fleet operators Public sector fleet operators Local and regional governments

Member Application and Assessment

• •

5 Star Recognition for individual vehicles

– Euro engine standard, plus Booster stars – A) types of fuel used & exhaust after treatment – B) in-cab technology

5 Star Recognition for overall operation

– Percentage of fleet achieving minimum star ratings – Evidence of fuel management process, driver skills development, vehicle specification, use of supporting systems and performance monitoring

Assessment Categories

Performance Monitoring & Management Use of IT support systems Vehicle specification / Preventative Maintenance Driver skills development Fuel Management Fleet composition

1. Fuel Management

• Monitor, control and target fuel consumption • Understands current fuel use and spend • Understands factors affecting fuel consumption • Range of component elements across the operation • Appointed a fuel champion • Sets improvement targets • Monitors and collect fuel use data

2. Driver Skills Development

• Understanding the impact of the driver on fuel efficiency • Highlights fuel importance to all driving employees • Enhance driver competence – safe and fuel efficient • Benchmarking between drivers (league tables) • Incentivise performance – how would that work?

• Manage, review and refresh

3. Vehicle Specification & Preventative Maintenance

• New vehicles – timing of replacements • Specify fit-for-purpose vehicles from outset • Understanding of whole life vehicle costs • Well maintained for efficiency – tyre pressures, filters, wheel alignment, body damage etc

4. Use of IT Support Systems • Telematics systems for vehicle and driver performance (braking, acceleration, over-revving and idling) • Fleet management systems to track operational performance • Systems for planning routes and optimising vehicles/loads

5. Performance Monitoring & Management

• Crucial for an effective fuel management programme and to track progress of interventions from a baseline • Set Performance Targets across a range of operational and environmental Key Performance Indicators • Understands why targets are achieved/missed • Reviews and revises data collection methods • Publicises results

Site visits

    All members should be visited at least once For many, this may be as part of an initial recruitment visit It is recommended to group a number of site visits together into one trip (saves costs and time) Site visits to depots/garages are usually (though not always) the most appropriate

The TRUST principle

   The ECOSTARS scheme operates on the basis of trust Auditors need to trust the contents of the membership applications are accurate Limited time is available so brief audits of evidence are needed

The Story

  The first local “ECO Stars” scheme was established in South Yorkshire, UK in 2009 The scheme was developed as part of a larger programme of measures to improve local air quality

European Project

  The ECOSTARS Europe project is establishing a number of fleet recognition schemes in European cities and regions between June 2011 and May 2014 Results will be evaluated and promoted to encourage other cities and regions to adopt the ECOSTARS concept

Partners

Transport & Travel Research (TTR), UK WSP, Sweden ISIS, Italy Polis, Belgium Municipality of Rotterdam, NL InfoMobility, Italy CTL Cantabria, Spain CDV, Czech Republic City of Edinburgh Council, UK Barnsley MBC, UK Energikontor Sydost, Sweden

Local Schemes

 Seven local schemes have been launched: - Parma, Italy - Rotterdam, The Netherlands - Cantabria, Spain - South East Sweden - Basque region, Spain - Edinburgh, UK - Ostrava, Czech Republic  Plus development funding for the South Yorkshire scheme

Scheme launches

Expected Results

     Increased adoption of fuel efficient operating practices and cleaner vehicles Improved engagement between local government and fleet operators Energy and carbon savings Increased local economic efficiency Improved local air quality

Successes so far

    Total membership across IEE funded schemes = 94 Equivalent to 13,200 vehicles Five further ECOSTARS schemes launched in UK with another two sites applying for UK Air Quality Grant funding High levels of interest from other regions\cities in Spain and Italy also

Challenges



Engagement with fleet operators has been easier in some places than others

– Need to provide extra training for some partners – Need to explore bringing in additional specialists 

Netherlands: competition from ‘Green Lean’ scheme

Recent Case Study

“Actively caring about the environment and the responsible use of resources is integral to the way we've been helping to improve the health of our customers and local communities for over 160 years. We’re absolutely delighted to have achieved a 5 star rating in the ECOSTARS Fleet Recognition Scheme, confirming our belief that a healthy environment is good for business.”

Alex Gourlay, Chief Executive of the Health & Beauty Division, Alliance Boots

Thank you for listening!

 For more details on the project contact: Mark Fell ECOSTARS Project Coordinator c/o Transport & Travel Research [email protected]

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