The UN definition of sustainability is: “the integration of environmental health, social equity and economic vitality in order to create thriving, healthy, diverse and resilient communities for this generation and generations to come. The practice of sustainability recognises how these issues are interconnected and requires a systems approach and an acknowledgement of complexity”.

Translating this into a road transport context, a truly sustainable operator will have a detailed environmental, social and governance (ESG) policy in place to ensure the business is: working towards carbon-neutrality in its entire operation; protects the health and well-being of its employees and the public and is able to recruit and retain the people it needs; and can achieve these laudable aims while making enough money to reinvest in the future.

As the UN points out these are difficult and complex aims to reconcile in the hurly burly of running a competitive and compliant transport operation but senior management have to take a long view to ensure their company will still be around in the next 10, 20 or 50 years.

Ensure your entry covers sustainability across the business and not just your road fleet (consider entering the Low Carbon Award if your initiatives are focused on cutting carbon emissions from your transport operation).

This Award is open to third party or own-account operators of 11 or more commercial vehicles.

Judges will be looking for:

• A far-sighted yet practical ESG policy that relates to the everyday business;
• Evidence that the policy is understood and implemented by operational managers and staff not just filed away in the annual report;
• A clear set of long term sustainability targets with a roadmap on how the business will achieve them.