•  A policy should be a simple, clear statement of why the organization is greening the fleet
•  If you decide a policy is important, develop the policy statement
•   Have the policy endorsed at the highest organizational level possible

When starting to develop a Green Fleet Plan, we recommend fleet managers draft a brief policy statement or objective.  The statement should set the tone for the green fleet plan and what the organization hopes to accomplish.  The policy statement will provide support for the Green Fleets work and may be used later if asking for additional funds.

In your organization it may not be necessary, practical or beneficial to develop a policy statement.  If that is true, then just move on to the next step in the process.  Your green fleet plan can still be vibrant and effective without a policy statement.

If you decide a policy statement is important, many agencies already have policies that direct the organization to reduce environmental impacts or, more specifically, reduce impacts of their vehicle fleet.  These statements may be part of a vision or mission statement of an organization, or they may be part of a council resolution or executive order.  Check for these documents and use them whenever possible for authorizing language to support the policy statement.

Here are some examples: 

• “To ensure that Alachua County's fleet assets are selected, acquired, and utilized in a manner that provides for the best possible support of County operations through environmentally responsible Fleet Management.”
• The City of Seattle cites a key policy commitment from their 1999 Environmental Management Program.  The City’s commitment was “…to achieve an overall reduction in air emissions produced by City vehicles and to reduce the amount of fossil fuels purchased and used for vehicles.”
• The International Council of Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI) webpage provides more examples of city and county policies.

If the organization does not have any broader policies or directives and you decide to draft your own policy statement, we recommend having it signed at the highest level possible.  This provides executive endorsement and support throughout the process and will provide leverage when asking for staff or other resources.  This is not imperative to creating a green fleet plan, but it can be helpful if only to ensure additional communication and collaboration with upper management.