Another area where service station owners can influence sustainability on their forecourt is through fuel protection. Now, fuel protection packages are not new to the fuel and convenience retail industry – in fact, it has been a key aspect of the fuel monitoring field since the early 90s; however, fuel management is now much more advanced.

Fuel management and monitoring can transform fuel retail businesses while providing a whole new world of environmental protection for the future, significantly reducing the risk of fuel loss to ground. In reality, a great wetstock management solution can prevent instances of fuel leaks to the downstream fuel industry, with experts recognizing the importance of “watertight” wetstock management services to make sure the environment is as protected as possible when it comes to conventional fueling solutions.

The detrimental and potentially negative effects of fuel leaks are well-known to not only the fuel industry, but to the public as well. The need for systems that prevent or reduce the probability of fuel leaks to the environment have long been a necessity for fuel retailers of all sizes, yet many sites don’t realise the positive impact wetstock monitoring can have on both fuel retail business and sustainability objectives. The lack of a wetstock management system may be a missed opportunity for many retailers when it comes to ESG strategies.

Wetstock management solutions not only help to protect the environment but end-to-end Wetstock management can also enable fuel retailers to have a complete enterprise-view of their fuel inventory. This means that not only are they more in control of their fuel at each and every site they own, but they also only have to reorder deliveries when absolutely necessary – thus reducing their carbon footprint, as they are able to order the right amount of fuel at the right time to sustain business.

The United Nations (UN)⁴ defines sustainability as “meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” Many people think about sustainability by looking at ways in which they can reduce their individual carbon footprint such as by recycling, reducing single-use plastic, investing in alternative ways to generate power (solar panels, wind farms, etc.), and utilizing electric and alternative fuel vehicles rather than relying on ICE vehicles. Although these are impactful ways for individuals to become sustainable, these tend to be small in the grand scheme of things. But what if fuel retailers made a conscious effort to roll out a series of sustainable initiatives across their network of service stations? Not only would this positively impact their carbon footprint, but it would encourage their customers to think, and possibly become more sustainable.

According to the Kantar Sustainability Trends report⁵, the majority of people expressed a desire to pursue some form of environmentally sustainable objectives, yet only a small percentage of are systematically changing their This is mainly due to three factors: the options available, knowledge/awareness and cost. By increasing sustainable options on and off the forecourt, fuel retailers can start to take the right steps towards sustainability, making the investment required so their service stations can provide future services and products, and adapt to the changing consumer dynamic – a dynamic that means customers can use their purchasing power to change and drive corporate behaviour linked to sustainability.

If fuel retailers diversify the energy options available to consumers, they can check the “options available” box from the reasons why many individuals do not change their behavior. They also tick the box of “knowledge/awareness”. Fuel retailers have an important role to play when it comes to global sustainability.

The final box to check is “cost”. Fuel poverty is a real problem all over the world, so providing affordable alternative energy is critical. LNG can help with the cost of living as there is a global market providing a choice of supply – meaning users benefit from price competition, which can lower costs and make refueling more affordable. When it comes to EV, filling up on petrol or diesel is still up to 80% more expensive⁶ than recharging an EV, again making it more affordable for drivers.