Features
6 Apr 22

Sustainability? Here’s how GFC 2022 will slice and dice it

This year’s edition of the Global Fleet Conference (GFC 2022) is all about sustainability. It’s a topic that has gone from nice-to-have policy element in mature markets to must-have ingredient of fleet and mobility policies everywhere. How will the event, which takes place from 2 to 4 May in Lisbon (tickets still available), slice and dice sustainability? A quick look at the sessions will tell a lot…

… but not everything. As usual, the GFC 2022 is well accompanied by various supporting networking events, including meetings of the Global Fleet APAC Business Networking Group, the Fleet LatAm Business Networking Group, and the members-only Global Fleet Managers Club with the best practice of the Global Fleet Manager of the Year, Jan-Hendrik Rauhut of Bayer – all on 2 May. 

But let’s focus on the main event, which unfolds on 3 and 4 May. “Sustainability” risks becoming an over-used term, defined and applied in so many different ways that it loses all relevance. The GFC 2022 does not lose sight of the concept’s multi-faceted meaning, but focuses on the specific drivers, benefits and pitfalls that fleet managers – especially those with regional or global responsibilities – must be aware of. 

Session #1 – Global Economy Trends

The reason we’re all talking about it, is that sustainability is part of a global megatrend towards a circular economy – a trend driven by the need to avoid the worst effects of climate change, but also a growing awareness of the public health risks and economic inefficiencies of current practices. 

Not to mention that the raw materials for our carbon-based lifestyle are subject to shortages, geopolitical volatility, and (currently) sky-high prices. Sofia Santos, Associate Professor at the University of Lisbon, will paint the big picture within which the rest of the GFC 2022 will be framed. 

Session #2 – Around the globe in 70 minutes

  • No two individuals are the same. The same also goes for fleet regions and their market maturity. In each region, business preferences differ, as do suppliers, and their customer’s needs. In a first segment, subtitled “Inside Regional Fleet Management Trends”, global fleet professionals Montse Empez (Applus), Yuliya Lapenkova (Philips) and Paula Diniz Oliveira (Zoetis) will look at what binds the various fleet regions of the world, and what divides them.
  • The Middle East is many things you don’t expect. Including a hotbed for mobility innovation and disruption. This segment, entitled “Inside the Middle East”, will focus on how, where and why the Middle East is at the forefront of fleet and mobility innovation. 

Session #3 – EV adoption across the globe

  • Dataforce CEO Marc Odinius has automotive statistics for breakfast, lunch and dinner. We can guarantee that his segment on “The State of the Global EV Market” will be the most figure-rich and trend-revealing talk you’ll have heard on this topic. He will shine his bright light on a crucial question: will EV uptake happen the same way and at the same pace all over the globe, and if not, what will the regional differences look like?
  • ALD is an absolute leader when it comes to smart electrification of its customers’ corporate fleets. John Saffrett, Deputy CEO of the lease company, shares ALD’s expertise and expectations on this issue in a thought leadership presentation. 
  • Vehicle manufacturers are investing billions in making their model ranges more sustainable – and ultimately, emission-free. How are they doing it? And who’s doing it better, faster, or totally different from the others? Questions that will be answered by the industry itself in the segment entitled “Carbon neutrality: the OEMs’ perspective”.

Session #4 – Winning Strategies in Sustainable Fleet Management

How do multinational companies (and fleets) establish – and achieve – clear carbon-neutral targets? Well, why don’t we let some of the best students in the class explain exactly how they’re doing this. In this session, expect enlightening thought leadership presentations on winning strategies from such fleet professionals as Heidi DiAngelo (Geotab), Jan-Hendrik Rauhut (Bayer) and David Brazell (Lytx).

So, what’s the question? Electrification or sustainability?

A short intermezzo in between sessions, but an important one. Yves Helven, CEO of Ovidrive, will put his finger on a sore spot: electrification is not the same as sustainability. The latter is the wider topic, the larger goal – and the bigger challenge. It is possible, and necessary, to aim for both. But only focusing on electrification may hurt your progress in terms of sustainability.

Session #5 – Be Ready for the Perfect Storm

  • The trend towards sustainability and circularity fits perfectly with the growing appetite of consumers and corporates alike to move from ownership to “usership”. This is the complex backdrop – or if you will, the perfect storm – for the rise of “mobility solutions”. In this session’s first segment, titled “The Ins and Outs of Innovation in Sustainable Mobility”, you will discover ways to expand your fleet programme into a corporate mobility programme that is accessible for all employees.
  • In a second segment, Richard Adams (MiX Telematics) will share a thought leadership presentation on the same topic.
  • The third and final segment of the fifth and final session of the conference’s first day will be a panel discussion with experts from global leasing companies, discussing how they adapt their business models to include sustainable fleet and mobility solutions.

The second, shorter day of the GFC 2022 will feature three simultaneous deep-dive breakout sessions for you to pick and choose from, focusing on “Sustainability and Smart Mobility”, “Sustainability and TCO”, and “Sustainability and Smart Mobility”. 

The GFC 2022 will be the largest gathering of global fleet experts of the year, and for two good reasons. One: it’s an excellent venue for connecting with business peers, partners and prospects. And two, as demonstrated above: it’s the best way to get up to speed with the topics that matter, benefiting from the combined knowledge of experts from both the supplier and customer side. 

If you don’t have your ticket yet: time is running out to book your trip to this year’s most consequential gathering of global fleet professionals. Book now for the Global Fleet Conference 2022: Sustainable Fleet Management Around the World, and see you in Lisbon from 2 to 4 May!

Authored by: Frank Jacobs