Government of Jersey Driving Down Carbon with Vegetable Oil

23 January 2023

​The Government of Jersey has so far switched 252 of its vehicles to run on Second Generation Road Diesel (SGRD), commonly known as “biodiesel”, as part of efforts to reduce carbon emissions. 

SGRD is a vegetable oil-based fuel that runs in normal diesel engines, without the need for any modifications. 

The Jersey Fleet Management team, who run and repair Government vehicles, started to move towards using this fuel in May 2022 for all their diesel road vehicles. Since then, they have been progressively switching to SGRD instead of fossil-fuel diesel as they fill up at both Bellozane and La Collette. 

Headline Figures since making the switch

​252	T​he number of GoJ fleet vehicles now using SGRD. This is 37.8% of the total fleet
​153000	​Litres of SGRD used since May 2022 by the GoJ fleet vehicles and the La Collette waste sites
​500 tonnes	​s The amount of CO₂e expected to be removed in 2023 (full year) (SGRD + electric vehicles)
​358 tonnes	​ The amount of CO₂e removed from the GoJ vehicle fleet total emissions by switching to SGRD in 2022
​75	​The number of electric vehicles in the GoJ fleet

As proposed in the Carbon Neutral Roadmap, approved by the States in 2022, the Government has also set up a strategic Decarbonisation Unit, working across the organisation to reduce emissions. This is primarily focused on the fleet and buildings but will also look to educate employees on the path to net zero emissions by 2050. 

Minister for Energy and Climate Change, Deputy Hilary Jeune, said: “Reducing our Carbon emissions as an Island is of grave importance and I’m pleased to see the progress being made in this area with our Government fleet. The agreed Carbon Neutral Roadmap policies will eventually see petrol and diesel vehicles phased out in Jersey, and so making the switch towards more environmentally-friendly fuels puts us in a good position for the changes that lie ahead. The Decarbonisation Unit is committed to reducing the carbon footprint of the Government of Jersey and I look forward to seeing what else the team are going to deliver.”

Hugo Willson, Head of Engineering＆ Development said “This is an example of the Government of Jersey leading by example and demonstrating how the switch to more sustainable fuel can help reduce our emissions. I am really excited for 2023 and the continued innovation we can explore, demonstrating that we are committed to a more sustainable future.”