Green Business Awards 2009: Carbon management - Emissions reduction achievement and ambition

Commercial Group is a leading independent integrated office services and supplies group. Based in Cheltenham, it has more than 150 employees, and in 2008 had a turnover of £137m.

In 2007, Commercial Group committed to slash its operational greenhouse gas emissions by 75% from 2006 levels by 2010 and launched a carbon reduction programme. Measures implemented resulted in 61% lower emissions by 2008, putting the company well on track to meet its goal.

Initiatives have included a dynamic routing system for deliveries, which has reduced fleet journeys by more than 140,000 miles, and the use of sustainable biodiesel using a pioneering real-time blending system to maximise environmental benefits. As a result of these and other initiatives, audited fleet emissions to 2008 were cut by over 75%.