New YouGov research carried out by fleet management company Gofor highlights that 21 per cent of companies have no fixed plans to reduce their fleet emissions.
Data analytics group YouGov was commissioned by Edinburgh-based Gofor to survey 1,000 senior HR decision makers this month. A cross-section of companies was questioned on plans for tackling the reduction of carbon emissions on their vehicle fleet as part of an environmental, social and governance (ESG) agenda. The research forms part of a wider Gofor ESG white paper created to support small and medium sized businesses.
Across all surveyed businesses that used vehicles, YouGov found that 21% either had no plans to reduce their fleet carbon output at any point or were unsure. A further 11% expect to look at fleet decarbonisation in more than 12 months. Plans may need to accelerate as the ZEV mandate, which legislates towards 100% zero emission vehicle production, requires 80 percent of new cars and 70% of new vans to be zero emission by this date.
Meanwhile the new Labour government has pledged to re-introduce the 2030 ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel-engined cars overturned by the previous administration.
More encouragingly, 49% of respondents were actively reducing their fleet carbon emissions; and a further 19% had plans to do so within the next year.
YouGov also questioned respondents on electric vehicle salary sacrifice - a tax efficient scheme often used by businesses as part of a fleet decarbonisation strategy. Just one in five businesses is currently using EV salary sacrifice, with an additional one in five having plans to implement it. The remainder had mixed awareness of the scheme or were simply unsure.
Iain Bennett, Gofor’s Managing Director, explains why Gofor carried out the research:
We’re hearing that a lot of companies want to reduce their fleet carbon emissions but are unsure where to start. We undertook the YouGov research to better understand where UK businesses are on their decarbonisation journey. We’ve been surprised by just how many companies still need to formalise a fleet electrification plan and are yet to take up EV salary sacrifice. These findings will help organisations focus on the environmental opportunity presented by their company fleets and we can help them to realise this opportunity as part of a more advanced ESG plan.
The YouGov findings are a core part of Gofor’s environmental, social and governance white paper entitled ‘ESG Matters: How fleet electrification can kick-start your ESG strategy’. The guide has been produced to support SMEs in implementing an ESG plan and is available via the form at the foot of this page. The paper highlights that one of the biggest impacts on a business’s carbon footprint is likely to be its vehicle fleet. It includes:
➢ Business benefits of an ESG strategy
➢ ESG implementation and the importance of a credible environmental approach
➢ Tackling fleet emissions with EV salary sacrifice
➢ How to introduce EV salary sacrifice in 4 steps
➢ Integrating company vehicle decarbonisation into your ESG strategy
Salary sacrifice is a highly tax efficient funding method for electric vehicles and continues to see strong growth. The latest figures from the British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association (BVRLA) in its April Leasing Outlook report showed 47% year on year growth for the scheme.
Download the whitepaper below, accelerate your fleet electrification strategy, and better understand how employee benefits such as salary sacrifice for electric vehicles can help your business deliver its environmental goals.
YouGov research details:
Research date: survey completion July 11th 2024
Sample size: 1,000HR decision makers as part of HR Omnibus survey
Full data info available on request.
