The winners were announced at a special ceremony at the Institute of Directors (IoD) in London attended by Norman Baker MP as well as other notable business leaders and government representatives.

Norman Baker MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport said: 'There are myriad ways for organisations to cut their carbon emissions – from investing in cleaner, greener vehicles, to making sure their drivers have the most up to date training on fuel-efficient driving.

'The Fleet Heroes Awards celebrate the achievements of those who are leading the way in this area – I congratulate all those whose efforts have been recognised by the Awards and hope that others will be inspired to follow their lead,' he continued.

The 2012 Fleet Hero Award winners are:

      Best Public Sector Fleet: Northamptonshire Police (Northamptonshire)

      Best Private Sector Fleet: Willmott Dixon (Hertfordshire)

      Grey Fleet Management: Wiltshire Council (Wiltshire)

      Business Mileage Management: Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust (Hampshire)

      Smarter Driving: SITA UK (Berkshire)

      Industry Supplier: ALD Automotive (Bristol)

      Innovation in Car and Van Manufacturing: Ford Motor Company Ltd (Essex)

      Innovation in Fleet Services and Systems: Alphabet (Hampshire)

      Innovation in Fleet Management: Commercial Group (Gloucestershire)

      Transport Solutions Innovation – Supplier of the Year: Travel de Courcey (West Midlands)

      Leadership: Toyota GB PLC (Surrey)

      Commercial Vehicle Management: Stobart Group (Cumbria)


In addition, West Yorkshire Police Force was awarded Motorvate Member of the Year. Motorvate is an Energy Saving Trust certification scheme which provides support and recognition to help organisations reduce their carbon emissions and fleet costs. 

Philip Sellwood, chief executive of the Energy Saving Trust, said: 'The Fleet Hero Awards is now in its seventh year and the quality and quantity of applications even exceeds the exceptional benchmark set last year.'

'This year’s winners were companies who showed strategic thinking as well as originality in their approach to improving the performance of their fleets and reducing carbon emissions from their vehicles.

'They are a great example to others and show how innovation, leadership and effective management in this area of the business can not only help us meet the UK’s sustainability targets but also make significant cost savings in the process,' he added.

To view the winners and the full shortlist for this year’s awards, please visit www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/fleethero