RAC Environmental Commitment Statement
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The RAC accepts our responsibility to help protect the natural environment and mitigate the impacts of climate change. |
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The RAC and our people will strive for continuous improvement to make our own operations more sustainable and to reduce our impact on the environment. |
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The RAC will influence, educate and inform our members on ways they can contribute to a more sustainable future whilst ensuring our members have access to a range of sustainable mobility options. |
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The RAC will work with governments, industry and other stakeholders to deliver better outcomes for members, the community and the environment. |
Some of our other activities include:
Advocacy for environmental sustainability
RAC members have indicated they are concerned about the impact their vehicle is having on the environment.
The need to embrace and look to new technologies to help reduce Western Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions is essential.
Part of the solution is to support the purchase and use of low emission vehicles along with public transport, walking and cycling. Click here to read more about the RAC's advocacy around public transport and cycling.
Click here to see how the RAC is rewarding motorists with qualifying lower carbon dioxide emissions cars for their contribution to reducing WA's carbon footprint.
The RAC also promotes the benefits of eco-driving to reduce vehicle running costs and reduce emissions. Click
here to learn more about eco-driving.
The RAC supports:
- The introduction of stamp duty concessions for low emissions vehicles.
- Other incentives (such as charger installation rebates or priority parking) for electric vehicles.
- Expanding the rollout of programs such as eco-driving and fleet management to small businesses.
- An examination of the impacts of electric vehicles on the electricity grid.
- A more detailed transport energy plan for alternative fuels.
- Ways to encourage WA businesses to adopt low emission vehicles.
CitySwitch
The CitySwitch Green Office program is Australia’s flagship tenant energy efficiency program. The program works with tenants to improve office energy efficiency, thereby reducing CO2 emissions.
Aligned with our commitment to make our own operations more sustainable and reduce our impact on the environment, the RAC became a signatory to the CitySwitch Green Office program in November 2011.
The RAC is proud to have won the 2012 National CitySwitch Signatory of the Year for office energy efficiency by a tenant, after winning the WA Signatory of the Year in the over 2000 square metres category for our West Perth office.
Please visit our CitySwitch page here for more information.
Western Australia’s electric vehicle trial
The RAC participated in the two-year Western Australian Electric Vehicle (EV) Trial which officially finished on 30 November 2012. During the Trial the RAC ran a branded Ford Focus sedan as a Patrol vehicle, which had been converted to run purely on electricity. Throughout the Trial, the electric Ford Focus (nicknamed Sparky) worked as a patrol vehicle in much the same way that a normal RAC patrol vehicle does, but on electric power only. The size of the Ford Focus compared with a standard RAC patrol vehicle meant it could not perform all the tasks of a normal RAC Patrol, however it also had some unique benefits. As well as contributing to the roadside assistance work that the RAC is renowned for, the Ford Focus EV also helped carry out valuable research about the viability of EVs in the real world as part of the WA EV Trial.
In addition to running the Ford Focus EV, the RAC’s Motoring division has purchased a Nissan Leaf EV and a mobile EV charger while the Ford Focus EV will continue to operate as a working patrol vehicle.
There is also a second Nissan Leaf electric vehicle in use at our Head Office in West Perth for one year as part of the our Corporate Membership of the Sustainable Energy Association.
The RAC now has EV charging capability at Head Office in West Perth and at the RAC Driving Centre.
Read more about electric vehicles in the real world
How to Use the Charging Station
The RAC has installed a twin-outlet electric vehicle charging station at its West Perth building. This is referred to as a level two charging station, which means it can charge the vehicle in half the time of a regular household outlet.
The charging station can be accessed via a swipe tag and it records information about charging times and patterns. The charging station can be used by any member of the public, so long as members agree to allow charging data to be monitored and used by UWA who were running the electric vehicle trial.
Anyone who operates an electric vehicle and would like to use the charging station can access a swipe tag by contacting Linda Barbour at UWA, ph: 6488 3897, fax 6488 1168, email: lindab@ee.uwa.edu.au
RAC Vehicle Fleet Emissions Offsets
Since 2002 the RAC has offset the emissions produced by its motor vehicle fleet.
This has been done through carbon offset providers in a variety of ways within Australia including tree planting and other initiatives such as fuel switching, capturing landfill gas, renewable energy and cleaner technology.
NABERS energy rating
The RAC Perth Office building is based on environmentally sustainable design principles and in 2012, the West Perth offices achieved a 4.5-star National Australian Built Environment Rating System (NABERS) base-building rating which exceeded the original rating the building was designed to achieve. A 4.5-star NABERS rating was also achieved for the whole-building.
The building was also awarded the Property Council of Australia’s Rider Levett Bucknall Award in 2009 for Office Developments in Western Australia.
View the
RAC’s NABERS base-building certificate. (PDF)View the
RAC’s NABERS whole-building certificate. (PDF)
AAA Climate Change Statement
The RAC has also endorsed the Australian Automobile Association’s Climate Change Statement ‘On the Road to Greener Motoring’ which aims to contribute to a cleaner, greener community and influence industry and government to take steps to reduce emissions and improve energy efficiency.
Read the On the Road to Greener Motoring statement. (PDF)
Earth Hour
The RAC has participated in Earth Hour since 2008 and in support of the global community and a commitment to creating a more sustainable future, the RAC continues to turn off all non-essential interior and exterior lighting at the West Perth office for Earth Hour.
As a signatory to the CitySwitch Green Office program, the RAC is aiming to achieve greater energy efficiency and reduce our emissions at West Perth. In 2012 the RAC ran an energy efficiency competition to coincide with Earth Hour.
The RAC is proud to support Earth Hour and Going Beyond the Hour.
For more information on Earth Hour, please visit the
official Earth Hour website.
Member of the Sustainable Energy Association
The RAC is a member of the Sustainable Energy Association (SEA) the peak body for sustainable energy in Australia.
The aim of the association is to give voice to those with an interest in sustainable energy and to promote the development and adoption of sustainable energy technologies and practices.
For further information at
http://www.seaaus.com.au.
Air Quality Coordinating Committee
The RAC is a member of the Air Quality Coordinating Committee which coordinates delivery of the Perth Air Quality Management Plan and assesses and reports on the implementation and effectiveness of the initiatives, programs and actions of the Plan.
Information on the current committee membership and terms of reference can be accessed here.