Province to Buy Lower-emission Vehicles

A new fleet vehicle policy aimed at cutting fuel use and emissions has been announced by the province.

"We've set an aggressive goal for Nova Scotia -- to cut greenhouse gases by 35 per cent by 2020," said Premier Rodney MacDonald in a speech today, Sept. 17, to representatives of government, business and the environmental sector at the Power of Green conference in Halifax. "Cutting vehicle emissions must be a big part of that goal.

"Nova Scotia is moving towards a cleaner, greener economy and, as a government, we need to lead by example."

With a fleet of more than 2,300 cars, trucks, heavy equipment and off-road vehicles, the provincial government will now consider the longer-term costs of both fuel and emissions with all new purchases, leases, and rentals.

The new policy, which will be phased in over several months, will reduce greenhouse-gas emissions, cut fuel costs and educate employees to drive more efficiently.

"From now on, when we replace a vehicle, we will be promoting fuel efficiency and lower emissions," said Premier MacDonald. "And we are not just reducing our impact on the environment, we're also supporting a greener retail vehicle market."

Stephanie Sodero, transportation co-ordinator for the Ecology Action Centre, welcomed the new policy.

"It's great to see the provincial government taking steps to help address the issues of climate change and air pollution -- and to save taxpayers money," Sodero said. "This is a model that can be used by other large-vehicle fleet managers in Nova Scotia."

All new vehicles will be evaluated on size, purpose, fuel consumption and life-cycle costs. The province will only consider vehicles in each class that score in the top 20 per cent in fuel efficiency.

As well, Conserve Nova Scotia will develop an education program to encourage government staff to consider alternatives to travel, like teleconferencing and car pooling.

"Over 25 per cent of Nova Scotia's greenhouse gases come from vehicles," Premier MacDonald said. "That is a big opportunity to make a change."

The policy is in addition to the minister's vehicle policy created in April that requires leased or purchased vehicles to be selected from a federally approved list of green vehicles.