Firms that have undertaken the ecolution training include Commercial Group, one of the largest office suppliers in the UK and a substantial fleet operator, with over 84% of its baseline carbon footprint being attributed to its fleet of vehicles.

The company has reported an improvement in mpg for all of its drivers. Initially, it expected a 15% improvement from providing environmentally responsible driver training but using ecolution enabled the drivers to exceed this, with drivers seeing improvements ranging from 20% to 40% over the six months after training. For an average driver, this equates to a cost saving of over £750 and a 2.2 tonne reduction of CO2 each year.

'Our drivers said they were amazed at how much fuel could be saved by changing a few basic ways of driving,' said Simon Graham, environmental strategist for Commercial Group.

'As over 84% of our baseline carbon footprint was from our fleet vehicles, the way that our people drive is very important to our environmental programme. ecolution has had a significant impact on our overall carbon reduction programme, helping to slash our carbon footprint, save us money and provide a better service to our customers. ecolution has helped us achieve a 75% reduction in the carbon footprint of that fleet.'

ecolution has helped Commercial Group achieve the Green Business Award for Carbon Emissions Achievement and Ambition in 2009 and the European Office Products Award for Environmental Sustainability in 2010.

IAM Drive & Survive says that it's seen increased demand for the ecolution training from other firms too.

Simon Elstow, head of training, said: 'Greener driving is top of the agenda so it’s not surprising we’re increasingly being approached by companies who are serious about reducing their carbon footprint and making cost savings. I often hear from customers how delighted they are with the results as well as just how simple the eco techniques are to pick up and apply.'