Smaller businesses say it is important to have a green fleet but most won’t allocate any budget to achieve one.
That’s the finding of a survey by Lombard Vehicle Management.
Most small businesses over-estimate the cost of offsetting a vehicle’s carbon emissions. For a panel van covering over 20,000 miles per year, the true offset cost is about £7 per month.
More support is needed, says leasing firm
Three-quarters of smaller businesses would be willing to pay up to £4 per month to offset a vehicle’s carbon emissions. However, many said they would want public recognition for doing so, for example, through sign-written vehicles.
Lombard Vehicle Management boss Rob Bailey, said: “For a small business, cost is always paramount. It is perhaps unrealistic to expect them to adopt green fleet policies on a widespread basis.”
Bailey added that it will be necessary to “educate the business community about the true cost of going green” and “perhaps for them to be incentivised”.
Lombard’s survey of smaller businesses found:
- 70% say it is important to have a green fleet
- 56% currently not prepared to allocate any budget to it
- 65% likely or very likely to choose greener vehicles
- 26% likely to restrict user-choosers to greener vehicles
- 36% prepared to consider hybrid cars
- 17% prepared to consider electric commercial vehicles
