Ambulance Service Wins 'Green' Award
Friday, 11 February, 2011
Alexis Keech, Environmental and Sustainability Manager for Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust at the awards ceremony in London earlier this month.
Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust has won an award in recognition of its dedication and commitment to carbon reduction.
The region's ambulance service won runner-up in the Best Public Sector Fleet (large) category of the Energy Saving Trust Fleet Hero Awards.
The award acknowledges the organisation's efforts to address climate change by reducing carbon emissions from business travel. In particular, Yorkshire Ambulance Service demonstrated good environmental fleet management, promotion of low-carbon driving and investment in a more fuel-efficient and ecological fleet.
Alexis Keech, the Trust's Environmental and Sustainability Manager, attended the awards ceremony in London to accept the award on behalf of the Trust. She said: "We are delighted to have been recognised for this award which can only be attributed to the hard work of everyone at the organisation.
"With a fleet which covers about 16 million miles and uses 4.3 million litres of fuel a year, the impact on the environment is a high priority and the challenge to reduce carbon emissions is huge.
"So far, in a bid to help reduce fuel consumption and, in turn, reduce the carbon footprint of the Trust, we have taught our staff eco-driving techniques and are looking at purchasing frontline vehicles which are more economical and efficient. However, we will continue to look for ways of reducing public spending on fuel and of becoming a greener, more efficient organisation."
The Trust was the first ambulance service in the UK to participate in the Carbon Trust Carbon Management Programme and is actively working to reduce spending on fuel and reduce the carbon footprint of the Trust by 30% by 2015.
Now in their fifth year, the Fleet Hero Awards aim to highlight best practice in fleet management and acknowledge organisations that are addressing climate change by reducing carbon emissions from business travel. Best practice is recognised in individual fleets or organisations as well as manufacturers who use technology innovatively to reduce their impact on the environment.
