Jenny Archibald of Norwegian Refugee Council emphasizes minimizing ecological impact in humanitarian missions
The "Avoid-Shift-Improve" (ASI) approach is a strategic framework designed to minimize fleet emissions, particularly in the humanitarian sector. This methodology focuses on three sequential steps: Avoid, Shift, and Improve.
- Avoid: By reducing unnecessary travel through better planning and coordination, organizations can significantly cut down on overall vehicle use.
- Shift: In this step, remaining travel is moved towards more sustainable modes or technologies. This could involve switching to electric vehicles, more efficient transport methods, or even carpooling within and between organizations.
- Improve: This stage involves upgrading to fuel-efficient vehicles, adopting better driving practices, and improving the environmental performance of the fleet through regular maintenance, fuel-efficient driving practices, and the use of renewable energy sources.
The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) is one such organization that has been integrating environmental sustainability into its operational practices. While specific details of NRC's implementation of the ASI approach are not extensively documented, it is known that they have been optimizing fleet management systems, adopting electric or hybrid vehicles, and enhancing route planning to reduce fuel consumption and emissions.
Jenny Archibald, the global lead for reducing environmental footprint at the NRC, cites a successful carpooling project in Lebanon by Fleet Forum as an example of substantial potential for emission reduction on a larger scale.
However, challenges remain. Carlos Roberto Guemez Shedden questions the role of data in reducing road crashes in countries with a low road safety culture. Yves Helven questions the suitability of biofuels and e-fuels for fleet management. Steven Schoefs questions how to achieve a sustainable fleet wherever electric vehicles are not an option.
To address these challenges, the NRC emphasizes the importance of data collection, analysis, and embedding emissions reduction into the organizational culture for effective reduction of emissions. Marc Sibbald anticipates the need for specific and flexible fleet funding methods like subscription, novated lease, or private lease.
In addition, Almy Magalhaes raises the question of how AI and ML can benefit commercial fleets, while Sandra Roling queries which countries are EV-ready. Ikhwan Rosli questions whether an international fleet approach is more efficient than a local one.
The Summit Virtual Experience was realized in collaboration with Fleet Forum, demonstrating the industry's commitment to sustainable fleet management. By adopting the ASI approach, humanitarian fleets can lower emissions, improve cost efficiency, and enhance operational safety and sustainability.
- Data-and-cloud-computing technology can help humanitarian organizations, like the Norwegian Refugee Council, analyze their fleet's emissions and develop strategies to reduce them.
- The 'Avoid-Shift-Improve' (ASI) approach, when applied to fleet management in the industry, can result in a shift towards renewable-energy sources, such as electric or hybrid vehicles, leading to a lower carbon footprint.
- In the realm of environmental-science, it's crucial to question the suitability of alternative fuels, like biofuels and e-fuels, within fleet management to ensure sustainable practices.
- The future of commercial fleets may involve the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) to optimize fleet operations, reduce emissions, and maximize energy efficiency.
