News stories of the month
15,000 ENTERPRISE CUSTOMERS OFFSET 5,000 TONNES OF CO2
E
nterprise Rent-A-Car recently announced that 5,000 metric tonnes of CO2
has been offset
from the atmosphere after celebrating its 15,000th customer opting to take advantage of its carbon offset programme.
The programme, set up in the UK, Ireland and Germany and in association with ClimateCare, offers customers the opportunity to help fund verified emission reduction projects for an additional cost of £1.25 (€1.25 in EU) per rental. Customers have so far elected to offset over 2,500 tonnes of CO2
–
however, as Enterprise’s charitable foundation matches customer contributions, the combined total has offset 5,000 tonnes – the equivalent of 19 jumbos flying from London to New York.
Moreover the popularity of the carbon offset programme is growing, with an increase in participation of over 50 per cent in February 2011 compared with February 2010. Spencer King, communications manager at Enterprise Rent-A-Car, said: “The growing popularity of the programme reflects the increasing consumer conscience and demand for sustainable initiatives from large organisations. This programme is just one piece of a broader
environmental programme we have been operating since 2007.” For European customers, the carbon reduction initiatives being funded by the Enterprise Rent-A-Car programme include: • working in Cambodia to replace inefficient stoves with measurably more efficient ones, thereby reducing CO2
emissions
• the development of two wind farms on the west coast of Taiwan, helping to reduce reliance on fossil-fuelled power generation and reducing greenhouse gas emissions
• supplying and installing treadle 10| SUSTAINABLE FM | APRIL 2011
pumps in India, allowing farmers on the plains to grow crops all year round while reducing the use of dirty diesel-fuelled pumps Enterprise Rent-A-Car’s Carbon Offset programme is part of its unique Environmental Platform. Launched in 2007 the platform also includes: • Conservation – At a cost of $50 million, Enterprise is planting 50 million trees over 50 years in every country where it does business
• Fuel efficiency – Improving fuel efficiency and pushing down emissions of the rental fleet – Enterprise’s European vehicles now average 48.3 mpg
• Alternative technologies – Enterprise operates the world’s largest fleet of fuel-efficient vehicles. Alongside this, Enterprise is currently operating Nissan Leaf and CODA in its North American operations.
• Research and development – Funding renewable fuels research through a $25 million gift that created the Enterprise Rent-A-Car Institute for Renewable Fuels at one of the world’s leading plant research centers.
Enterprise has recently launched a
website,
www.drivingfuture.com where more details of the company’s sustainability initiatives can be found.
RSA and Aston Scott to help commercial customers go green
G
lobal insurer RSA and broker Aston Scott have announced the launch of a new
insurance initiative, Carbonsure. Carbonsure is a new product that incorporates commercial insurance1 cover with risk management advice, alongside carbon management – an area that can be daunting for businesses to approach. Carbon management2
provides
support to businesses looking to reduce their carbon impact. The scheme includes an initial carbon footprint assessment and a 20% discount on the first carbon purchase.
Alongside carbon management, Carbonsure also provides cover for more energy-efficient equipment to replace old machines following a loss.
1 Commercial insurance cover is an all- encompassing product to cover key risks to business and business property including, property damage, business interruption, employer’s liability and
Mike Lawton, Mid Market Director for RSA commented: “Carbon management is a new challenge for businesses. Greenhouse gas assessments, carbon credits or just getting good advice are not easy things to come by. RSA has worked with Aston Scott to provide a product that helps customers on their journey to good carbon management.
“RSA became the first insurer in the UK to be carbon neutral, so offering the help and guidance needed for carbon management is something we are proud to lead the way in. The upshot for the client is real financial benefits from the potential for reduced energy consumption, as well as movement towards a low carbon future.”
www.rsagroup.com
public liability and personal accident. 2 Carbon management provided by The CarbonNeutral Company – issuers of CarbonNeutral certification, the global standard for carbon neutral certification.
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