For many organisations, sustainability initiatives in transport are still heavily focused on one decision: buying greener vehicles.
But according to Wade Harriman, Managing Director at Autorola Australia, there are significant opportunities to reduce environmental impacts across the entire fleet lifecycle, and those opportunities are often being overlooked.
Speaking at Sustainability Business Live, Harriman said conversations with sustainability professionals revealed growing interest in practical ways to reduce emissions and improve environmental performance across organisations.
“It’s been really good. It’s been really interesting to connect with different people,” said Harriman.
“There’s been Fleet Managers here that we know and talk to and engage with, but there’s been a lot of people about sustainability and wanting to do things differently in their organisation.”
Harriman said the event attracted a highly engaged audience that was eager to explore new approaches and partnerships.
“It’s a really open environment as to what do you do, how’s it different, a really intelligent group of people, and a really in-depth level of conversation,” he said.
One of the key topics attracting attention was Autorola’s approach to reducing unnecessary vehicle movements and streamlining processes within the remarketing and fleet disposal sector.
According to Harriman, sustainability professionals quickly recognised the environmental benefits once they understood the process.
“They can see that really instantly,” he said. “And then we have a chat about washing the cars two or three times in a process and removing that, and the environmental impact, and being able to take the conversation further.”
The discussions highlighted an emerging trend where organisations are looking beyond traditional sustainability initiatives and seeking collaboration with suppliers and partners who are also challenging established practices.
“People that are already in this field are really interested in partnering with others that are doing things differently, and that’s been a really valuable part of it,” Harriman said.
However, Harriman believes there remains a disconnect between sustainability teams and fleet operations in many organisations.
While sustainability managers are generally aware their organisation operates a fleet, he said there is often more work required to connect fleet activities with broader ESG and sustainability objectives.
“They know they have a fleet and they have a fleet manager, but there’s probably some work we’ll need to do to draw the dots together with them,” he said.
“So people have left with our information, and we’ve got some information from them, but it’s going to take some follow up and conversation to help them join the dots together.”
The challenge reflects a broader issue facing many organisations as sustainability responsibilities expand beyond environmental reporting and into operational decision-making.
Fleet assets are often one of an organisation’s largest sources of emissions and environmental impact, yet sustainability strategies can remain focused on vehicle procurement rather than the broader fleet lifecycle.
Harriman said purchasing lower-emission vehicles is only one part of the equation.
“Absolutely, the sustainability is probably being driven at the moment by purchasing and trying to purchase some more environmentally friendly vehicles,” he said.
“But there are other areas of the business in their fleet management that they can be impacting to help in that sustainability piece.”
As organisations continue developing ESG frameworks and emissions reduction strategies, the conversations at Sustainability Business Live suggest Fleet Managers may need a stronger seat at the sustainability table.
The opportunity is no longer limited to choosing the right vehicles. It extends to every stage of the fleet lifecycle, from vehicle acquisition and utilisation through to maintenance, refurbishment, transport and disposal.
For fleet professionals looking to contribute more meaningfully to corporate sustainability targets, that broader perspective could become one of the industry’s most important opportunities.
