The UK’s largest fleet operators are set to push government to bring forward its phaseout of combustion engine vehicles and provide incentives to the sector to decarbonise by 2030.
The UK Electric Fleets Alliance includes founder member BT Group, which with Openreach operates Britain’s second-biggest fleet. More members are set to be announced.
The alliance is a spin-off of the EV100 initiative of over 70 companies including multinationals, run by clean mobility advocates The Climate Group.
The UK Electric Fleets Alliance will press government for measures assisting firms contemplating an early switch to carbon-free vehicle operation.
Proposals promised for detailed release later this year are to include expanded EV charging, and making EV operation and infrastructure a priority for the new CoP climate summit in Glasgow, now re-scheduled for November 2021.
As energy generation decarbonises, progress in cleaning up transport has stalled. The sector is the UK’s largest source of greenhouse gas emissions. Roadside air pollution causes up to 40,000 early deaths every year, two medical Royal Colleges have found.
Climate Group CEO Helen Clarkson said “BT and Openreach are fantastic partners in the UK Electric Fleets Alliance, not just making the commitment to transform their own operations to zero-emission solutions like EVs, but also making advocacy for the net zero transition a key pillar of their campaigning work.
Some 29 UK firms have already signed up to the EV100 initiative, including three leasing firms. Together nearly 700,000 vehicles are already owned by British firms committed to removing carbon from fleet operation.
Worldwide, EV100 members are set to switch some 2.5 million vehicles to zero emissions by 2030.
Members have also committed to company-wide roll-out of EV charging for staff and customers, that will see charge points deployed at over 3,000 company locations.
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