Background

Land Rover is committed to reducing its impact on the environment and recognises that this will take time. It has reduced emissions with successive models and has introduced a comprehensive and multi-stage programme to reduce emissions, incorporating huge investment in sustainable technology for its manufacturing plants and vehicles. Land Rover is involved in a  £700m technology development programme aimed specifically at reducing tailpipe emissions.

Land Rover’s CO₂ offset scheme enables it to make significant cuts in greenhouse gas emissions immediately, while the technologies are developed. The programme is also a key element in their drive to engage their customers in the issue of climate change. 

Description of the scheme

Land Rover runs one of the largest voluntary offset schemes in the world with ClimateCare.  The programme – called CO₂ Offset - offsets emissions from two key sources of Land Rover’s business:

1) The operation of its vehicle assembly at its 2 production facilities in the UK.

2) Its customers’ use of their vehicles – emissions are offset from the first 45,000 miles of Land Rover driving from all new models from September 2007, and all customers are able to offset mileage of Land Rovers using a specifically developed CO₂ offset calculator.

This pioneering programme is run as a true partnership between ClimateCare and Land Rover with a commitment to ensuring a high degree of transparency and integrity in the operation of the programme.

We have established governance procedures to ensure that the programme delivers long-term benefits to the climate and strategically to Land Rover.  The Governance Committee is made up of senior representatives of both organisations as well as independent experts from the climate change field, such as Forum for the Future.  Its role is to oversee the processes and procedures used to manage the programme as well as ensuring that communications are appropriately developed.

The day-to-day operations are overseen by the operating committee with representatives from both parties and an independent chair.  The committee selects a portfolio of projects that meet their requirements and to balance price and delivery risk. A key part of their project selection criteria are the wider sustainable development aspects of the projects.  . 

Projects

Land Rover has made full use of the expert project origination service of ClimateCare and is funding a bespoke portfolio of projects that meet its requirements and have been specifically developed for Land Rover. The portfolio covers projects in renewable energy, energy efficiency and technology change, with no forestry projects. The projects have strong sustainable development benefits alongside the emission reductions.

Full details of Land Rover’s project portfolio can be seen on Land Rover’s Our Planet website. 

How has Climate Care added value?

Land Rover has benefited from ClimateCare’s wide ranging expertise in the field of climate change and carbon offsetting. In particular, it has added real value to the scheme in the following areas:

• Expert Advice - As longstanding experts in its field, ClimateCare has provided advice and guidance to Land Rover every step of the way in developing this pioneering and effective scheme to meets its goals. It works as the secretariat to the programme’s governance and operating committees.
• Bespoke Project Development - As experienced project originators and managers, ClimateCare was in an ideal position to develop and manage a portfolio of projects specifically for Land Rover, in line with its requirements.
• Stakeholder Engagement - ClimateCare has worked closely with Land Rover to support the PR and marketing of the scheme, has run interactive employee training sessions and developed a CO₂ offset calculator for Land Rover customers not covered by the corporate programme.

Results

The CO₂ Offset scheme, which is scheduled to run until the end of 2008, is expected to offset over two million tonnes of CO₂.

Land Rover has received much attention for this bold and pioneering scheme that challenges an issue at the heart of its industry.  Land Rover is rightly proud of the scheme, and following a successful pilot in the UK, other markets are keen to join the CO₂ Offset programme.

Future plans

Land Rover plans to build on the success of the scheme in the UK and expand the CO₂ Offset programme. The scheme has already been launched in Norway and is expected to launch into other markets around the world during 2008.

"At Land Rover, we recognise that climate change has emerged as a key challenge to the automotive industry and we are committed to addressing our impact. We are investing millions of pounds to develop technologies specifically to reduce tailpipe emissions.  Alongside this programme to improve the environmental performance of our operations and vehicles, our commitment extends to making significant cuts in greenhouse gas emissions immediately through ClimateCare’s projects.

ClimateCare has demonstrated a good understanding of our objectives and has developed a portfolio of projects that reflect a diversity of low carbon technologies.  Both parties have benefitted from the experience of developing, managing and governing the offset scheme – the first of its size in the world."