Zero-emission mobility is good for our health

At LeasePlan, we believe zero-emission mobility is a key part of a healthier future, and not just for our planet but also for us.

We live on a planet where 90% of people breathe unhealthy air resulting from the burning of fossil fuels – and this air pollution kills 13 people every minute by way of respiratory infections, lung cancer, heart disease and strokes. In fact, the WHO estimates that some 13 million premature deaths each year are due to avoidable environmental causes. This makes the climate crisis the single biggest health threat facing humanity. Thankfully, it is not too late to take action and change to a more sustainable way of life.

This year's theme for World Health Day was "Our Planet", our health, making it the perfect time to reflect upon the current state of air pollution and the availability of healthy food and water. With global warming on the rise, and quality of life decreasing for so many, we must commit to fostering a more sustainable environment.

Corporate fleets are a significant contributor to tailpipe emissions. These emissions are not only harmful to people’s health – some also contribute to our planet’s rising temperature. As a leader in the car-as-a-service market, LeasePlan is committed to the fight against climate change. In 2017, we announced our ambition to achieve net-zero emissions by 2030 – and since then, we’ve grown the total number of electric vehicles (EVs) in our fleet by 800%. By 2021, EVs accounted for 25% of all new vehicles we added to our fleet (up from 16% the previous year). LeasePlan is also working with leading international NGOs, including The Climate Group’s EV100 organisation, the World Economic Forum (WEF) and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, to promote sustainable policies and accelerate the uptake of EVs. Of course, by reducing emissions from combustion engine vehicles, we are also helping to cut air pollution and protect the health of people around the world.

While these achievements are significant, the ever-worsening climate emergency, combined with deepening social injustice, means the time has come to again set a new standard in our industry for doing what is right for our planet and its people. So, ahead of COP26 in Glasgow, we launched ‘Driving to Zero’, our new sustainability strategy. With it, we have broadened our focus from sustainable mobility to all of today’s important environmental, social and governance (ESG) challenges.

Start your company fleet on its EV journey today. As your valued leasing partner, LeasePlan has everything you need to help you on your way – including our ‘What’s next in EVs’ virtual event, taking place on May 25 at 13:30 CET. It will feature an industry update with Robert Llewellyn of Fully Charged, the world’s no. 1 clean energy and EV show, as well as LeasePlan’s Chief Commercial Officer, Berno Kleinherenbrink. This is your chance to climb into the driver’s seat: you will learn everything you need to know about fleet electrification in 2022 and discover the most exciting new technologies and models out there.

We look forward to building a healthier and more sustainable future with you.