Five environmental NGOs from European member states joined forces with the frontrunners of Europe’s lease sector in an effort to outpace EU legislation in reducing CO2-emissions from passenger cars. Athlon Car Lease International was the first European leasing company to sign the Cleaner Car Contract which commits to ambitious fleet-average CO2 targets for 2012 (see photo left to right: Bruce van Egmond, commercial director Athlon Car Lease Netherlands; Toon Rutgers, commercial director of Business Lease Netherlands; Ivo Lassone, director Sales & Marketing ING Car Lease Netherlands; Mirjam de Rijk (signing) director of Dutch lead NGO Stichting Natuur en Milieu; Renate Hemerik, director of Dutch lease umbrella organisation VNA).
“We’re proud of European lease companies like Athlon Car Lease International who are signing up for our Gold Fleet target, thus going beyond what EU regulations require,” says Mirjam de Rijk, director of Dutch lead NGO Stichting Natuur en Milieu (Netherlands Society for Nature and Environment). In several participating countries, other lease companies have also signed Cleaner Car Contracts.
Athlon Car Lease International signed up for a Gold Fleet Cleaner Car Contract, containing an ambitious 120 gr CO2/km fuel-efficiency target for newly acquired fleets in 2012. The EU Regulation on CO2-limits for passenger cars effectively requires car manufacturers to sell cars that on average emit no more than 130 gr CO2/km in 2015.
“Speeding up the introduction of far more fuel-efficient passenger cars is absolutely crucial in tackling the challenges we face towards achieving a decarbonised transport sector,” says Mirjam de Rijk. “All lease companies in Europe, as well as their clients, are invited to join the bandwagon and sign a Cleaner Car Contracts. With their 30 percent share of the market for new passenger cars, they can make a swift transition to more fuel-efficiency reality.”
Taking the lead in exploring sustainable possibilities in the car leasing sector “only comes naturally”, says Athlon Car Lease International’s CEO Hans Blink. “Signing the Cleaner Car Contract shows our commitment to our mission to provide sustainable mobility solutions to our customers.”
Choosing only the most fuel-efficient cars can save a lot of money, says Mirjam de Rijk. “Cleaner Car Contracts is not just good for the climate and the environment, but also for businesses and drivers. Fuel-efficient lease vehicles use far less fuel and benefit from tax breaks.”
Leaseurope actively supports environmentally friendly fleet management initiatives, as Vincent Rupied, chairman of Leaseurope’s Automotive Steering Group, confirmed, “The fleet leasing industry is well positioned to develop a business model that reconciles economic and environmental concerns. Initiatives like Cleaner Car Contracts provide us with potential partners to structure this approach.”
Cleaner Car Contracts is an initiative of the Netherlands Society for Nature and Environment. Partner NGOs are: Verkehrsclub Deutschland (VCD) in Germany; Terra! Onlus in Italy; the Danish Ecological Council in Denmark; and Bond Beter Leefmilieu Vlaanderen (BBLV) in Belgium.