EROAD, in collaboration with the Energy Efficiency & Conservation Authority, has launched a web-based vehicle emissions calculator tailored for New Zealand fleets.
The partnership between EROAD and EECA aims to empower businesses in their journey towards decarbonisation and environmental responsibility.
Transportation currently contributes to 17% of New Zealand’s greenhouse gas emissions, making it a pivotal sector to address in the fight against climate change. With the New Zealand government setting ambitious targets of achieving Net Zero Emissions by 2050 and a substantial 50% reduction by 2030, the need for innovative solutions to curb emissions is more pressing than ever.
The EROAD Emissions Calculator provides users with an overview of their fleet’s emissions profile. Additionally, it offers suggestions for emissions reduction, alongside potential savings.
“The EROAD Emissions Calculator will play an indispensable role in helping New Zealand fleets embark on their decarbonisation journey,” said EROAD’s CEO, Mark Heine.
“By providing the tools for measurement and planning, we aim to encourage and enable the reduction of emissions across the transport sector.”
In 2022, EROAD secured co-funding from EECA’s Low Emissions Transport Fund (LETF) to develop an advanced heavy vehicle decarbonisation and recommendation tool. Following an intensive year of development and comprehensive testing, this innovative tool is now available for businesses to adopt.
Camilla Cochrane, EECA’s transport manager, said the transport sector has a key role to play in meeting New Zealand’s emissions reduction targets.
“While vehicles over 3.5 tonnes make up 4% of the national fleet, their footprint is outsized – making up 27% of our transport emissions,” she said.
“We need to use all the levers at our disposal to accelerate uptake of low- and zero-emissions vehicles, and we’ve been working with the sector for years, offering support through the Low Emissions Transport Fund and, soon, some new funding options.”
Heine added, “For New Zealand to realise its net zero targets, all fleets must formulate comprehensive emissions reduction strategies, and that needs accurate measurement and understanding of their current emissions footprint.
“As the business landscape evolves, sustainability has emerged as a pivotal factor for success. Just as companies balance customer service, costs, and growth, they must now factor in their environmental impact,” he said.
EROAD’s third annual sustainability survey, which gathered insights from over 1200 business decision-makers, revealed a concerning disparity between large and small fleets. Notably, 66% of large fleets have implemented emissions reduction plans and are actively monitoring their emissions. However, smaller businesses with fewer than 300 vehicles lag behind, with 62% lacking net-zero strategies and a staggering 78% not measuring their carbon emissions, making meeting the Net Zero targets incredibly challenging.
“The results from our Sustainability Survey underscore the divergence between large and small fleets in terms of preparedness and show that more urgent support and awareness of the available tools is needed,” said Craig Marris, EROAD’s chief sustainability officer.
“Access to data remains a key barrier for many smaller fleets to initiate their journey towards net zero emissions.
“The newly launched emissions calculator serves as a foundational step, addressing this data gap and bringing awareness to the scale of their carbon footprint and opportunities for reduction,” he said.
“By embracing measurement and planning today, businesses enhance their prospects of meeting the legislated net-zero targets for 2030 and 2050.”
EROAD and EECA jointly funded the tool’s development and are offering it free of charge to all New Zealand fleets.
Looking ahead, EROAD plans to introduce its suite of sustainability solutions to its North American and Australian customer bases in 2024, further expanding the scope of sustainable fleet management on a global scale.
