The global community is currently being confronted by a problem and that is the global warming situation. The increasing amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere increases the surface temperature of the Earth. This problem is currently being addressed by the auto industry by developing fuel efficient vehicles which produces less greenhouse gases than their predecessors. These vehicles though needs to be used and replace the not so eco-friendly vehicles on the road today.
Helping car manufacturers put their green vehicles on the street are large companies with equally large fleets. It can be remembered that US President George W Bush commended UPS and FedEx for their use of hybrid vehicles on their fleets. Recently, another company took a step towards fuel efficiency and greenhouse gas emission reduction by expanding their hybrid car fleet.
Roche, the well known Swiss pharmaceutical company, announced that they have increased the total number of hybrid vehicles on their fleet to 242 units. These vehicles are used by their sales representatives for different purposes. The company announced that with the increase in the number of their hybrid vehicles, they will be contributing to the battle against the threat of global warming.
More than a thousand tons of greenhouse gas emissions will be eliminated with the use of the 242 units of hybrid vehicles. Fuel consumption for the company will also be cut down by as much as 80,253 gallons of gasoline annually. And all in all, those statistics are going to make much of a difference in the long run especially.
Terry F. Yosie, the President and the Chief Executive Officer of the World Environment Center, have this to say about Roche's expansion of hybrid car fleet: "Roche's hybrid-car program demonstrates the company's commitment to corporate social responsibility. Roche is a leader among pharmaceutical companies striving to make a difference, and this hybrid car program is a prime example of how all companies can make a contribution." The World Environment Center is a not-for-profit, non-advocacy organization which is based in Washington, D.C.
In July of 2004, the F. Hoffmann-La Roche, also simply known as Roche, started their hybrid car plan by commissioning 20 hybrid vehicles composed of the Toyota Prius and the Ford Escape hybrid vehicles. The performance and fuel efficiency of these hybrid cars, better even than a vehicle equipped with an , made the company decide to expand the fleet.
Aside from the proven fuel efficiency, performance of the hybrid cars was also found out to be of high level. Those reasons played a major role why the number of hybrid vehicle in Roche's fleet numbers 242 currently.
Jack Kace, the Vice President for Corporate Environmental & Safety Affairs of Roche, has this to say: "Roche is devoted to conserving natural resources and improving human health, and we believe in and practice environmental sustainability. The expansion of our hybrid vehicle program is a great example of this commitment. We are using less gasoline, reducing our emissions and reducing our fleet costs as well." Indeed, the expansion of the company's hybrid car fleet shows its commitment to the welfare of the current and subsequent generations.