Deloitte Belgium to reduce company car use by 10%
The Belgian branch of international consultancy firm Deloitte, employing more than 3,800 employees in 12 locations and operating a car fleet of some 3,000 cars, announced that it will introduce a new mobility plan aiming to reduce the company’s CO2-emissions caused by company cars by 25% by 2021, as part of a broader sustainability programme.
In a heavily congested country such as Belgium, with a loss of more than a workweek per year on average in traffic jams, as learnt from Deloitte’s Global City Mobility Index, traffic jams lead to an estimated economic loss of somewhere in between €4 and €8 billion.
Piet Vandendriessche, CEO Deloitte Belgium says that “Deloitte wants to take on its role as a sustainable player in society, and today takes the initiative to introduce a multimodal mobility plan. We do not want to wait until the policy framework and the infrastructure are adapted to today’s traffic reality in Belgium. We are therefore encouraging our employees with this plan to consider which means of transport best suit their personal needs.”
How?
Deloitte’s employees can choose their own mobility package, including alternatives to the company car. The choice of means of transport is broadened from the normal company car to public transport, a bicycle (classic or electric), a shared car and carpooling. They can opt for a combination of options, such as a parking pass at the train station or a bicycle, combined with a train pass. Working from home, flexible working hours or working from a local Deloitte office are encouranged and in the mean time, the company will simplify its car fleet and make it more sustainable. This will be done by introducing electric cars in a more structural manner by reducing the offer of car models from 132 to only 10!
This seems like an anti-car choice, no? Piet Vandendriessche: “It isn’t. We want to raise awareness among our employees so that they can make informed choices for mobility solutions and combinations that address their needs and those of our clients in optimal fashion.”
A larger scope
The plan to reduce company car use is part of a broader sustainability programme in which Deloitte Belgium commits to reduce its CO2-emissions by 25 per cent by 2021. The new offices, with 40% lower CO2-emissions compared to the old ones, are another element in that programme. The new location is right next to Brussels Airport and has a train and bus station right next to it, which makes the employee’s use of a company car to get to the office less necessary.
Photo: Deloitte's Gateway Building at Brussels Airport, copyright Deloitte
