Climate change is becoming harder for businesses to treat as a distant issue. As of 2026, a fierce El Niño is shaking up weather patterns globally, and the World Meteorological Organization is warning of increased risks of extreme heat, drought, and flooding as the event strengthens into 2027¹.
For transport and logistics companies, that global picture has a very practical link to day-to-day operations: vehicles burn fuel, and fuel use produces CO₂. That puts fleets under pressure to understand where emissions are coming from and where they can realistically be reduced.
What about your fleet clients? Do they have aggressive sustainability targets to meet, or simply want to improve fleet efficiency? If so, our telematics platform brings together the data, monitoring, and reporting tools they need to track progress and make positive changes.
Fleet factors that contribute to CO₂ emissions
Emissions are closely linked to everyday fleet activity, so looking at these areas together gives your clients a clearer idea of where improvements can actually be made. Everything mentioned below is easy to read and report on within the 3Dtracking platform.
Fuel consumption and fuel efficiency
Burning more fuel generally means producing more CO₂, so identifying unusually high consumption, inefficient vehicles, or changes in fuel economy helps explain what is driving emissions.
Driver behavior monitoring
Harsh acceleration, excessive speeding, unnecessary engine use, and inefficient driving habits can increase fuel consumption. Idling, in particular, burns fuel while the vehicle is doing no productive work. Monitoring excessive idle time can identify relatively straightforward opportunities to reduce both fuel costs and emissions.
Trip and journey data
Distance traveled, trip frequency, journey duration, and routes all affect the monthly (and daily) fuel bill and emissions.
Vehicle utilization
A fleet may have more vehicles operating than it actually needs, or some vehicles may be heavily used while others sit idle. Utilization data can help businesses see where vehicles are being underused or wasted.
Vehicle maintenance
Poorly maintained vehicles can operate less efficiently. Looking at maintenance records alongside fuel and emissions data can help identify vehicles whose performance is deteriorating and investigate why.
Historical data and trend reporting
Lowering emissions is not a one-off exercise, so fleets need to compare performance month to month or year to year to see whether changes to driving, maintenance, or routing are actually working. Fleet-wide averages can also hide problem vehicles. Comparing similar vehicles can highlight those consuming more fuel or producing more calculated emissions than expected.
“Reducing CO₂ emissions is obviously in the best interest of everyone, but also correlates to better fuel efficiency and lower costs for vehicle fleets,” explains Roydon Michael, CEO of 3Dtracking. “We are pleased to give our partners an important new use case for fleet management services and create new value for their clients.”
If you’re interested in supporting your clients' efficiency and sustainability goals, contact us to learn how our platform makes things easier.
References:
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World Meteorological Organization. (2026, October 8). Sea-surface temperatures reflect strengthening El Niño. Sea-surface temperatures reflect strengthening El Niño
Originally published: July 2019.
Last updated: October 2026.
