The HBOS Green Miles Initiative

 

Launched at the beginning of April 2007, Green Miles is designed to reduce the rate of HBOS business travel growth in the UK. The Million £ Challenge could benefit by up to £500,000 from the savings made.

Business travel is the biggest cause of carbon emissions in HBOS. The aim of Green Miles in 2007 is to halve the rate of travel growth – a saving of 5.5 million miles or 225 times around the world. Doing so will reduce the Group's potential carbon emissions. This will be achieved by better use of teleconference facilities across our business.

Green Miles has been piloted within Group Services. The results of this pilot exceeded all expectations. As a result, the Million £ Challenge gained £50,000, matched by the Foundation to a total of £100,000.

Green Miles currently concentrates on journeys made by train and plane.  It is planned to include cars from 2008. The miles saved when colleagues choose not to take a business journey all count towards the Green Miles target.

A Carbon Calculator has been created to help colleagues estimate their typical carbon emissions from business travel. Instead of asking colleagues to travel longer by train or driving, Green Miles encourages colleagues to question whether they need to travel at all.