Glasgow-based fleet management and leasing specialist, Fleet Alliance, has achieved carbon neutral status after implementing a series of carbon-saving green initiatives.

Reducing its carbon footprint to zero required a sustained programme involving reducing the company’s corporate energy consumption by 57%, including switching its energy supplier to a renewables-only business where the majority of power is generated by wind.

The company switched its own fleet completely to electric vehicles (EVs) in 2021, and has since introduced a zero-emission policy for all employee salary sacrifice cars. These initiatives, plus a host of smaller ones, have contributed to a 90% reduction in Fleet Alliance’s carbon emissions.

The final 10% was achieved through carbon offsetting, employing three schemes within the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals which have been selected by staff as part of the company’s ‘Fleet Alliance Loves’ outreach programme. These schemes have collectively saved 28 tonnes of CO2 from being released into the atmosphere.

In measuring its achievement, Fleet Alliance has followed the reporting levels of the global Greenhouse Gas Protocol which has three levels or Scopes. The company has now covered Scope 1 emissions – those that it is directly responsible for and Scope 2 emissions which are those that it is indirectly responsible for, such as the generation of purchased energy.

Fleet Alliance CEO, Andy Bruce, commented that while carbon neutrality is not a legal requirement for for the company, such status is regarded as essential to its business as a sustainable mobility provider.

“Put simply, we have to turn the clock back on carbon emissions – or continue to face further and more ferocious natural disasters of the type that we have seen across the world recently,” Bruce said.

He added that corporate carbon neutrality can play a part in the UK Government’s ambitions for 2050, part of which is the Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) mandate, which lays down the proportion of cars and vans that must be zero emission each year.

“This is something we very much support through our client fleet management policy that encourages EV take-up and our EV salary sacrifice programme for greater encouragement of Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) programmes,” Bruce said.

He added that despite achieving carbon neutrality status, the business would continue its efforts to further reduce carbon emissions. “Our efforts to reduce carbon do not end here as we plot our path towards net zero and we will include Scope 3 emissions as part of our reporting.

“Scope 3 emissions are those that we are indirectly responsible for up and down the value chain – such as the supply of goods, distribution, transportation and business travel.

“We are very proud of what we have achieved to date as it is a vital aspect of our sustainable mobility proposition, where we are genuinely walking the walk. But we believe there is still more to go at and we would heartily encourage other companies in achieving their own goals towards carbon neutrality.”