For hauliers, the ability to offer customers a green transport option can be vital in clinching a deal. Many hauliers' clients now look closely for green credentials as they must meet environmental commitments given to their own customers and shareholders. The business case for going green is now indisputable, but how do hauliers prove that their environmental claims are not just "greenwashing"? Eurotunnel suggests a way that can benefit hauliers and their customers - and it can supply figures to prove it. according to John Keefe, head of communications for Eurotunnel: "Using Eurotunnel's Shuttle service to transport a lorry across the Channel produces CO2 emissions that are 18 times lower than sending the same lorry on a ferry." He cites the average CO2 emissions per freight vehicle on Eurotunnel as 8.8kg, compared with 158kg for vehicles sent on a Calais to Dover ferry. What's more, Eurotunnel does not emit sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides - all particularly harmful to public health - which are a feature of maritime transportation. Eurotunnel is keen to emphasise that its statistics are independently verified. "The figures come from a study by specialist consultancy JMJ Conseil, appointed by Eurotunnel, and validated by the French environment and energy management agency (aDEME)," says Keefe. Hauliers can easily check how much CO2 they can save by using Eurotunnel's Shuttles, as the freight section of its website gives access to a carbon counter (see www.eurotunnelfreight. com/counter/). This helps customers to calculate howmuch CO2 is saved according to the number of lorries they send on the Eurotunnel freight service. "Hauliers can use the figures not only to demonstrate their own commitment to addressing environmental concerns, but also to sell their own services to end users," says Keefe. "Many end customers now have their own green pledges to fulfil, and the reduced carbon footprint of freight transport can count towards that." One of the main reasons Eurotunnel beats ferry services in terms of carbon emissions is