The hunt is on among hundreds of conference delegates to find the greenest driver, through a simulator competition launched by City Building, one of Scotland’s largest construction firms.

Like the popular celebrity-filled leaderboard featured on Top Gear the idea is to find out who can show their rivals a clean pair of wheels. But the prize won’t go to the speediest petrol-head but instead to the driver who has the most fuel left at the end of the course.

The idea is to highlight how drivers of City Building’s fleet of fuel-efficient vehicles are now trained to put the environment before the need for speed. For example, driving at a steady speed requires less effort for the engine and avoiding unnecessary acceleration and heavy braking reduces fuel consumption.

The Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) Scotland Conference and Exhibition takes place at the SECC in Glasgow from Tuesday 13 March until Thursday 15 March. City Building has a prime spot at the event and its own eco-driving simulator on the stand.

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Delegates, exhibitors and speakers will be invited to test their skills behind the wheel, with points gained for conserving fuel. The top performer over the course of the three-day event will win a Track Day at Knockhill Circuit in Fife.

John Foley, managing director of City Building, said: "Our eco driving simulator is designed to generate a bit of friendly competition but as its heart is a serious message. As a company we have over 700 vehicles out and about on the streets of Glasgow and beyond so our drivers take their responsibilities very seriously.

"We are committed to being as green as possible, in terms of our output and the way we conduct our business. The CIH event is an ideal opportunity to demonstrate how City Building is committed to sustainability, both for our business and for the environment."

City Building is Glasgow City Council’s arm’s-length construction company. It operates a fleet of more than 700 vehicles, including Ford, Renault and Peugeot vans and also 7.5-tonne lorries. With a distinctive white and black livery, they are a familiar sight around West Central Scotland.

Research from the AA recommends that drivers stick to speed limits to be more fuel efficient. Drivers can reduce their fuel consumption by ten per cent by driving at 50 mph rather than 70 mph. If all drivers in Scotland adopted eco-driving habits they would save around £370m a year and 900,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide.

(GK)