By Paul Hemsley

Driving Australia’s clean fleet initiative has been an objective up for grabs by governments and private enterprise, but they are each taking the challenge without any centralised federal management.

The federal government has a task group on energy efficiency, which considers the introduction of a mandatory light vehicle carbon dioxide (CO2) standard.

The report covers a Commonwealth fleet emissions target, the development of inter-operability standards and a “clear government statement” on electric vehicles.

According to the Department of Finance and Deregulation, the government fleet introduced an environmental policy based on the Green Vehicle Guide scores while retaining its support of Australian vehicle manufacturers.

“The improvements in the environmental profile of the Australian Government fleet have been made possible by the efforts of the majority of government departments and agencies,” a Department of Finance and Deregulation spokesperson says.

Despite this federal government task force, actual departments have been unable to clarify their positioning, so local and state governments have been more proactive in their own fleet optimisation.

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