Mobility policies – planes, trains and automobiles

Because Det Norske Veritas (DNV) manages risks across the world, it seems apt that it’s also playing a role in tackling climate change and the threats posed by it. In fact, considering the company’s objective is "Safeguarding life, property, and the environment", it would be hypocritical not to have one.

Johan den Biggelaar is managing director of DNV Benelux and he’s in charge of 350 people in Bilthoven and Rotterdam in the Netherlands and Antwerp in Belgium. He was a driving force behind the introduction of DNV's cross-border Green Mobility Policy in the summer of 2008, leading discussions with employees, management and the local councils.

“The main objective of this policy is to reduce CO2 emissions. Climate change is top of DNV’s priority list,” he says.

Money talks
One of the primary focuses of the policy is DNV’s company cars, of which there are around 220 in the Benelux region – including 180 in the Netherlands. Employees eligible for a company vehicle can choose their own car, but Johan says certain restrictions are placed on this freedom.

“We’ve limited the choice to the most CO2-efficient vehicles, called levels A, B and C. And we offer financial incentives for choosing the greenest cars, with the money going straight into the employee's salary. Money talks loud and clear and it’s one of the best ways to encourage behavioural change,” says Johan.

In 2008 the number of A-rated company cars was just eight, now it has more than tripled to thirty, including the one Johan drives.

“You have to lead by example. I can’t preach about sustainability and then drive to work in an SUV,” he laughs.

Comfortable journey
The policy also promotes public transport use, with a public transport option for eligible employees that includes a free train card for a whole year.

“The train card is first class, so we ensure it’s a comfortable journey. But we also look after all elements of the journey, from the home to the office,” says Johan.

At the local train stations, DNV has paid for bike stations. But in bad weather, a taxi between the station and the office can be charged to DNV to ensure a pleasanter journey.

DNV is also aiming to reduce the number of flights its employees take (for business purposes, holidays are still ok) by investing in high quality video conferencing technology to allow intercontinental offices to hold meetings without having to board a plane.

What's the score
In the first six months since the policy’s introduction, the average CO2 emission per company car has been reduced by 3.2 per cent, despite business growth causing an increase in business travel. Johan says that for the first full year the improvement rate should be about six per cent, but should gradually get higher.

“In practice, the reductions will become more progressive, as newer cars have increasingly lower emissions. My best guess is that we should be able to achieve around thirty per cent CO2 emissions reduction after the full replacement of the fleet by the end of 2012,” he says.

Limit
Johan says he’s been in discussions with the company’s corporate HR team to get the policy rolled out across the whole organisation. However, there’s a limit to what one company can do.

“In the Netherlands there are a lot of company cars, so businesses can dictate what people drive. In countries where there are not so many company cars, there’s little control. In this instance, local governments need to lead the way by offering their own incentives to people to drive greener vehicles,” says Johan.