Sustainable considerations now come into play with regional district's vehicle acquisitions
By Nelson Daily Staff
A green fleet and green purchasing policy have been adopted at the regional district level, helping mark another rung up the ladder of the Carbon Neutral Kootenays project.
Sustainable considerations will now come into play when it concerns vehicle acquisition, replacement and usage decisions under the new policy — replacing the existing RDCK Vehicles Policy.
The new policy acknowledges that fleet management decisions are linked to the RDCK’s ability to achieve its climate action commitments.
The policy restricts non-essential vehicle idling, requires new vehicle purchases to incorporate right sizing, life cycle costs and fuel choice.
It also helps educate drivers on efficient driving practices and encourages reducing single occupancy trips through vehicle sharing.
The Green Purchasing Policy amends the existing Purchasing Policy in that it now supports consideration of environmental factors in purchasing decisions.
The policy now includes environmental stewardship goals, steps for sustainable purchasing, promotes the use of lifecycle costing when making purchasing decisions, and requires that energy efficiency equipment is selected whenever feasible.
As part of the Carbon Neutral Kootenays project, the RDCK was provided with five draft policies to support implementation of the RDCK’s goal of greenhouse gas emissions reduction.
They include:
- Climate Action Reserve Fund Policy: This policy was adopted by the RDCK in early 2011.
- Green Buildings Policy: This policy will be considered for adoption in late 2011, early 2012.
- Green Vehicles Policy
- Purchasing Policy Amendment: This policy and the Green Purchasing Policy have been consolidated by RDCK staff into a single proposed policy.
- Green Purchasing Policy
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