Overview
The first local ECOSTARS scheme was established in South Yorkshire in 2009 as part of a larger programme of measures to improve local air quality. As heavy industry in the area had declined, the impact of road transport on local air quality had increased, with commercial vehicles making a significant contribution to local emissions.
The results from the project in South Yorkshire were positive, and the project has now been extended to include other European cities with similar problems.
ECOSTARS strives towards fulfilling the following objectives:
- To increase the energy efficiency of freight distribution by giving recognition and publicity to transport operators using sustainable practices in their procurement and management processes;
- To encourage the faster introduction of vehicles using clean fuel technologies;
- To encourage the development of energy efficient driving schemes and operational management practices;
- To promote the auditing and certification of freight operators using a Europe-wide approach to sustainable practices in freight operations.
This project is divided into seven different work packages:
- Work Package 1: Project Management
Led by Transport & Travel Research - Work Package 2: Stakeholder Engagement
Led by WSP Group - Work Package 3: ECOSTARS Common Scheme Standards
Led by Transport & Travel Research - Work Package 4: Communications and Promotional Material
Led by Polis - Work Package 5: Local Implementation
Led by Municipality of Rotterdam - Work Package 6: Monitoring and Evaluation
Led by ISIS - Work Package 7: EACI Dissemination Activities
Led by Transport & Travel Research
Results
The scheme members stated that what they gained most from participation was an objective measurement of fleet standards (36%), an increased public relations value from media coverage (31%), a better understanding of fuel costs (20%) and of CO2 emissions (12%). In terms of environmental impact of the project, we found that ECOSTARS members have gained:
- A range of savings in fuel consumption from 1.1% up to 5% due to the adoption of eco-driving techniques.
- A reduction in fuel consumption through the implementation of tailored advice given in their road maps from 0.2% up to 10%.
- A fuel efficiency gain of 3.5% where low resistance tyres have been deployed.
- An improvement of more than 8% in fleet management proficiency by using in-cab telematics devices.
- A reduction in fuel consumption of by decreasing the speed limiters from 85 km/h to 83 km/h.
Other results
An important aspect of the project has been to promote the results beyond the eight case study areas to encourage other cities, regions and major transport operators to adopt the common scheme standards approach offered by ECOSTARS. As of May 2014 there have been a further nine schemes established in the UK in different regions and cities:
- City of Dundee
- City of York
- Falkirk
- Greater Nottingham
- Mid Devon District
- North Lanarkshire
- Sefton Borough (Port of Liverpool)
- Thurrock
- Warrington
Readiness
On a European level, ECOSTARS established common scheme standards to be applied across the continent by any authority wishing to adopt the ECOSTARS approach. The various ECOSTARS schemes operate in a local or regional context: fleet operators have become members of ECOSTARS schemes in the areas in which they operate. Some operators can become a member of more than one scheme if their footprint is over a larger regional, national or even international territory, with depot to scheme specific membership. It has been found that the consistent operational standards across different schemes have encouraged multi-scheme membership (where applicable), which could help additional local authorities to adopt ECOSTARS and establish a way to engage with the respective companies. For example, Edinburgh’s members that are national companies, and have a presence in other schemes areas, are also members of one or more of the other UK ECOSTARS schemes which have been established independently from the European project.
The scheme can be implemented in any local or regional environment looking to increase engagement with industry. The ready-made scheme is available for application across Europe. The common scheme standards and assessment criteria are available as well as common scheme document templates. Moreover, case studies with first-hand experience can give valuable advice on expected workload and budget estimations.