Greener Car Behaviours

At the Commonwealth Bank, we’re committed to sustainability.

Sustainability is not just about ensuring a future for our children and grandchildren, it also makes sound economic sense to take care of the world we live in.

One of the key environmental issues facing our society is vehicle emissions. Cars and other vehicles are a necessary part of life, but they do create pollution, and are a major contributor to greenhouse gases, the key culprit in global warming.

Choosing fuel efficient vehicles for you and your business, or making your current vehicles, more sustainable, is a real step towards a cleaner, better world for us all. And changing just a few driving habits can save money, too.

Buying ‘clean’, “Fuel Efficient” cars

‘Clean’ cars are cars with fewer greenhouse emissions and fewer noxious pollutants. ‘Hybrid’ cars, now being produced by some of the major car manufacturers, run on a mix of petrol and electricity. Not only are these vehicles much more environmentally sustainable, they’re also fuel efficient, saving on running costs.

Find out more:

Making your fleet more fuel efficient

If you’re not looking to buy new vehicles right now, you can still lower the carbon footprint and emissions of your current vehicle with a few simple steps.

Drive efficiently

  • Lighten up! Maximise fuel economy by minimising what you carry in your vehicle. Putting things inside the vehicle rather than in the boot or on the roof to reduce drag and maximise mileage.
  • Drive easy. Rapid acceleration and braking reduces mileage, so drive at a steady pace (it’s safer too!).
  • Don't idle. Idling for more than 10 seconds uses more petrol and emits more global warming pollution than restarting your car!
  • Chill out. Use your air-conditioning as little as possible.
  • If the vehicle is used by your business which is registered for GST and accounts for GST on a non- cashbasis,
    any GST credit entitlement the business may have, can be claimed upfront via the Business Activity Statement

Maintain your car

  • Tune in. Keeping your engine properly tuned saves petrol. Have your vehicle serviced regularly, and make sure you’re using the right oil.
  • Pump up the volume. Keeping your tyres properly inflated maximises fuel economy.

Drive less

  • Combine trips. Cutting 30km a week can reduce your global warming pollution by about 550kg a year.
  • Work from home once a week.
  • Share transport. Carpool or use public transport when you can. You'll save money, reduce congestion on the roads and help cut greenhouse emissions.