Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions From Vehicle Fleets

When we burn gasoline and diesel in our vehicles many air pollutants and greenhouse gases are released into the atmosphere. Outdoor air quality is affected by many air pollutants which are harmful to our health and greenhouse gases contribute to climate change. The more gas or diesel that is burned, the more emissions are produced.

Owners and managers of fleets of vehicles, either government, business or private fleets, can reduce the amount of fuel used in their fleets and still provide the same level of services. Many actions to reduce fuel use also save money!

The benefits of reducing the amount of fuel used include:

• Reduced greenhouse gases and air pollution
• Improved health
• Reduced costs
• Improved reputation and image

This website offers many resources to help fleet managers. These resources are helpful no matter how large or small your fleet. Some resources are more applicable to cars; others more applicable to transport trucks, and the recommendations can be adapted to particular circumstances. While many of the resources here are directed particularly to fleets owned and operated by municipalities, many will be of use to businesses wishing to cut down their carbon footprint and to save money through more efficient use of vehicles.

The first step is to set some achievable goals to reduce emissions from vehicles. For small municipalities or owners of small fleets, this may be developing an inventory of vehicles and a system to record and track kilometres traveled and fuel used.

This is an essential first step since you need to know your current fuel use per kilometre in order to plan and track reductions. For larger or well-established fleets, begin to implement fleet-wide programs, such as anti-idling policies, and track over time the impact this has on fuel use. For fleet managers already implementing these actions, share your experiences with other fleet managers.

The Federation of Canadian Municipalities, Partners for Climate Protection Program, offers numerous resources to assist municipalities to inventory their greenhouse gas emitting sources and to develop an action plan for reductions. To join PCP, or for more information go to the

PCP website

For further information on our program to assist fleet managers to reduce fuel consumption, please contact us.