THE NATIONAL GOVERNMENT GREEN FLEET AWARD           Please be aware that this award is separate from The 100 Best Fleets Award. You can apply for both awards, however, you must complete and submit both applications to be considered.           The National Government Green Fleet Award is open to all Federal, State, and Local Government Fleets. This includes fleets that are operated by local government personnel or contracted services. The National Government Green Fleet Award is a comprehensive set of criteria specifically tailored around the challenges and requirements of the government fleet manager. All entries will be rated on the content of their application, so be specific in your answers. Our criteria was carefully selected and compiled over a period of several months, using hundreds of sources in green fleet planning and methodology. It not only functions as the assessment standards for the yearly award, but also serves as a foundation for drafting and implementing your own green fleet program. The evaluation standards are divided into several key categories: 1.  Fleet Composition - This category compares your current fleet composition of conventional fueled (gas & diesel) vehicles versus hybrid, electric, and alternative fuels etc. The data submitted only applies to the current mix of your fleet at the time of application, not projected purchases. 2.  Fuel & Emissions - The fuels criteria determines your use of renewable and alternative sources of energy. It compares your total use of conventional versus renewable fuels such as BioDiesel & Ethanol, and non-renewable  fuels such as propane and compressed natural gas. The emissions criteria evaluates what your fleet has done to cleanup your current inventory of on and off road diesel equipment.   3.  Policy & Planning - An integral part of any green fleet plan is not necessarily what you do today, but also what you have planned for the future. Green fleet sustainability is the process in which you plan for the future environmental role of your fleet. Will you continue to budget and purchase green technologies, or will you stop your current green efforts? 4.  Fleet Utilization - Involves not only how your fleet is used, but also how you determine what size vehicle is appropriate for a given job classification. Purchasing oversized vehicles and engines when a smaller vehicle would suffice, needlessly adds unnecessary pollutants into the atmosphere while increasing your fuel usage.  Other programs such as loan pools and car sharing programs are also evaluated. 5.  Education - Knowing what new technologies are in the marketplace is an important aspect to any green fleet manager. This standard requires each fleet manager to stay informed about green fleet news. Your attendance in green seminars and subscriptions to green publications will keep you appraised on what's new. 6.  Executive & Employee Involvement - No longer is the fleet manager considered some abstract object sitting in the last row during council or commissioner meetings. The fleet manager of today is not only a manager, but also an educator. It is the duty of the fleet manager to educate the executive staff and political leaders of the advantages of a green fleet, new & available technologies, and the costs associated with them. Employee involvement outlines your efforts to keep the fleet employees informed about the direction of your green fleet program. 7.  Supporting Programs - Is a wide variety of other initiatives that includes: applying for grants, recycling programs, parts purchasing habits, and maintenance facility improvements.           Interested? Take the next step to see if your fleet qualifies to be named: The Nations Best  Green Fleet In Government!     CLICK HERE TO APPLY!