Car dealerships to go green

The initiative is jointly spearheaded by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) and the Retail Motor Industry Federation (RMI) should also cut their building’s annual energy bills by more than £6 million.

The plan, announced this week, follows the publication of SMMT’s sustainability report earlier this month.

Both associations are working with the Carbon Trust, a not-for-profit company that provides support with emissions reductions and energy savings, who will visit 30 dealers to look for ways to improve energy efficiency.

The dealerships, representing all major car brands in the UK marketplace, will be of various sizes and types with differing energy spends and occupying buildings of different ages in order to be representative of the industry as a whole.

“This is an important step in cutting the sector’s environmental footprint and demonstrating our commitment to lifetime sustainability,” said SMMT chief executive, Paul Everitt.

“Vehicle manufacturers have focussed heavily on improving the efficiency of their production facilities and cutting the emissions of their products, making increasingly significant progress.

“This project will ensure the same attention is paid to retail sites, improving the overall environmental performance of the industry.”

RMI operations manager, Steve Latham, said: “These days our customers expect us to be energy efficient and to set a green and clean standard.

“Today we sell and promote many new cars with very efficient engines, producing lower CO2 emissions, therefore it is imperative we do everything possible to reduce energy consumption in our dealerships and reduce our costs in these difficult trading conditions.”

Luke Walsh