Five environmental NGOs from European member states join forces with the frontrunners of Europe’s lease sector in an effort to outpace EU legislation in reducing CO2-emissions from passenger cars. Today, Athlon Car Lease International is the first European lease company to sign the Cleaner Car Contract with ambitious fleet-average CO2 targets for 2012.

“We’re proud of European lease companies like Athlon Car Lease International who are signing up for our Gold Fleet target, thus going beyond what EU regulations require,” says Mirjam de Rijk, director of Dutch lead NGO Stichting Natuur en Milieu. In several participating countries, other lease companies have also signed Cleaner Car Contracts.

Athlon Car Lease International signed up for a Gold Fleet Cleaner Car Contract, containing an ambitious 120 gr CO2/km fuel-efficiency target for newly acquired fleets in 2012*. The EU Regulation on CO2-limits for passenger cars effectively requires car manufacturers to sell cars that on average emit no more than 130 gr CO2/km in 2015.

“Speeding up the introduction of far more fuel-efficient passenger cars is absolutely crucial in tackling the challenges we face towards achieving a decarbonised transport sector,” says Mirjam de Rijk. “All lease companies in Europe, as well as their clients, are invited to join the bandwagon and sign a Cleaner Car Contracts. With their 30% share of the market for new passenger cars, they can make a swift transition to more fuel-efficiency reality.”

Taking the lead in exploring sustainable possibilities in the car leasing sector “only comes naturally”, says Athlon Car Lease International’s CEO Hans Blink. “Signing the Cleaner Car Contract shows our commitment to our mission to provide sustainable mobility solutions to our customers.”

Choosing only the most fuel-efficient cars can save a lot of money, says Mirjam de Rijk. “Cleaner Car Contracts is not just good for the climate and the environment, but also for businesses and drivers. Fuel-efficient lease vehicles use far less fuel and benefit from tax breaks.”

Leaseurope, the Brussels-based organization representing the European interests of the leasing sector, actively supports environmentally friendly fleet management initiatives. Vincent Rupied, chairman of Leaseurope’s Automotive Steering Group: “The fleet leasing industry is well positioned to develop a business model that reconciles economic and environmental concerns. Initiatives like Cleaner Car Contracts provide us with potential partners to structure this approach.”

Cleaner Car Contracts is an initiative of Stichting Natuur en Milieu (the Netherlands Society for Nature and Environment). Partner NGOs are: Verkehrsclub Deutschland (VCD) in Germany; Terra! Onlus in Italy; the Danish Ecological Council in Denmark; and Bond Beter Leefmilieu Vlaanderen (BBLV) in Belgium.

Lease companies interested to join can contact the project team through http://www.cleanercarcontracts.eu/contact.


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More information: ms. Anita Direcks, press officer Stichting Natuur en Milieu, tel. +31 (0)30 2348 229 / +31 (0)6 144 87 427, e-mail .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

*) Athlon Car Lease has signed Cleaner Car Contracts in its four countries in which local Cleaner Car Contracts partners are available. Athlon Car Lease Netherlands, Athlon Car Lease Belgium, Athlon Car Lease Germany and Athlon Car Lease Italy have each individually committed to reducing their fleet CO2 to the Cleaner Car Contracts Gold Fleet ambition (120 gr/km target by 2012). Athlon Car Lease’s remaining countries will also continuously strive for further reductions their fleet’s CO2 emission level.