Motordepot has struck a deal that will see it offset the projected emissions of all the used cars it sells during the first year that they’re owned.
The Hull-based car supermarket has teamed up with carbon-streaming service iOffset for what it says is a ground-breaking initiative and a first for the UK’s motor industry.
Every used car sold by Motordepot across the country and through its website CarSupermarket.com will have their emissions offset by the United Nations climate change panel-endorsed Offset as a Service (OaaS) platform.
It has pledged to offset 2.5 tonnes of carbon dioxide per car for a year or 10,000 miles. Although it’s impossible to put an exact figure on it, it will see Motor Depot offsetting approximately 60,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide over the next 12 months.
Motordepot will invest in projects such as reforestation and renewable energy to reduce global carbon emissions by the equivalent amount – a spending figure that is likely to run into thousands of pounds.
Top carbon footprint expert Professor Mike Berners-Lee – brother of world wide web inventor Sir Tim Berners-Lee – and his Small World Consulting team, helped to develop iOffset’s carbon-use examples, which aim to assist people in making lifestyle choices that reduce their carbon footprint and help businesses to better understand the effect of their emissions.
The lockdown has seen the biggest drop in carbon emissions since records began, and as restrictions ease and organisations adjust to the ‘new normal’, climate change and sustainable practices are now firmly back on the business agenda, it says.
Motordepot managing director Steve Butterley said: ‘We are delighted to be able to bring this product to market. For many of the thousands of customers that visit our showrooms and forecourts every month, the prospect of an electric car is impractical and early-adopter pricing is out of reach.
‘Modern eco-conscious car shoppers are desperate to do the right thing but to date have not had a viable alternative to the traditional used car.
‘Used cars are an eco-friendlier option than a new car simply by the nature of being a recycled product, and we’ve now brought to market a new type of used car in partnership with iOffset – one with the emissions offset for the first year or 10,000 miles of ownership – as a UK industry first.’
Mark Hammond, founder of iOffset, said: ‘Our mission is to spearhead an international carbon reduction and offsetting culture, making it easy and affordable for individuals and businesses to reduce and offset their unavoidable emissions.
‘I congratulate Motordepot for being the first in the auto retail market in the UK to embark on this as part of their service, and hopefully this initiative will be a catalyst for many dealers and other businesses around the world to push forward more environmentally friendly operations on the journey to net zero.’
Pictured are iOffset founder Mark Hammond, left, with Barnsley CarSuperMarket.com branch manager John Wallworth
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