August 26, 2020

Australian Red Cross Society: Reducing environmental impact from operations

Climate change is the biggest humanitarian challenge our society is facing. Australian Red Cross’ focus is on the humanitarian needs of people and communities experiencing vulnerability due to climate change. The organisation is committed to reducing the environmental impact of its operations.

Achievements

  • 20.7% reduction in emissions
  • 45% reduction in fuel usage

Case Study Type

  • Abatement Project Delivery
  • Value Chain Partnership
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Problem Being Solved

Australian Red Cross maintains a fleet of vehicles to enable the provision of a range of humanitarian services from door-to-door transport service for patients to attend non-urgent medical appointments, through to community outreach programs for Young Parents and First Nations’ Peoples. Such programs are focused on maintaining connections across communities and enhancing the quality of life and wellbeing of people experiencing vulnerability.

A review of the ageing fleet identified many of the vehicles, were nearing the end of their life span, were expensive to run and maintain, and had a high environmental impact.

Solution

As part of Australian Red Cross’ management practices, the entire vehicle fleet was reviewed. The process drew on industry best practice, guided by a number of parameters including humanitarian program needs, vehicle models (6 cylinders / 4 cylinders, updated technology), frequency of use, and the running and maintenance costs. Furthermore, the analysis included the incorporation of environmental impact as a key parameter.

The review informed a move to modern fuel-efficient models where possible, allowing for special requirement vehicles, including multipurpose vehicles and 4-wheel drive vehicles for remote locations where required. It identified an overall reduction in vehicle numbers as well as operational savings through leveraging maintenance contracts.

Australian Red Cross established a partnership with a major vehicle company to pilot the use of hybrid vehicles across our operations. The partnership has informed the ongoing development of hybrid vehicles for use in Australia.

Based on the outcomes achieved to date, Australian Red Cross continues to leverage opportunities to achieve further CO2 emissions reductions across our national vehicle fleet as part of our business analysis processes and maximising advancement in technology. The learning from Australian Red Cross is being shared with the global Red Cross network to inform the actions of its members.

Outcomes

The fleet renewal program has achieved a 20.7 percent reduction in CO2 emissions, from 1,718,378kg in 2015 to 1362462kg in 2019. The introduction of hybrid vehicles has further seen a 45 percent reduction in fuel usage across the fleet.

Additional benefits have included enhanced safety for Red Cross People and clients through improved driver experience and vehicle safety specifications.




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