At Addison Lee Group, we want to keep our city moving – but we also know that we have a duty to do everything we can to improve air quality in the communities where we live and work.
You trust us for reliable ground transportation across the world. You might also know we’re committed to reducing our carbon footprint with the use of innovative green alternatives, wherever possible.
A PROGRAMME FOR EVERYONE IN THE CITIES WE SERVE
We’re now taking the next steps to help make the planet and our cities healthier and cleaner places with the Greener Future Programme. It consists of a host of initiatives working with our drivers, city administrations and innovative companies to help cut carbon emissions and support air quality initiatives in the long term, all while continuing to put our passengers and drivers first. Our ambition is to make our Private Hire Vehicles (PHV) fleet 100% zero-emissions capable by the end of 2022. The Greener Future Programme includes initiatives to:
- Help improve the environment in the cities in which we operate. As part of this we’re supporting our London drivers through regulatory changes – such as the removal of the Congestion Charge Exemption for PHVs from April 2019 – with a range of measures to help drivers stay compliant with the law, go greener and meet the impact of the changes.
- Make Addison Lee Group 100% carbon-neutral. We started with all our London passenger car journeys from April this year, partnering with Climate Care – an organisation that helps businesses in their environmental goals – to support projects in the developing world that help communities and the planet. The first of these is the BURN stoves clean cooking project, which is revolutionising home energy use and its impact on air quality in Kenya.
- Support our wider communities with the development and deployment of electric vehicle technologies. We recently announced a partnership with Audi to introduce 5 all-electric E-tron SUVs into our Tristar fleet, for example. Alongside this, we’re giving our dedicated service teams time to devote to environmental projects in their own local areas.
THE GREENER FUTURE PAYMENT
To support the initiatives in the Greener Future Programme and minimise the impact of regulatory changes on our drivers, we included a small additional charge in our customer account journeys and courier jobs from 1 April 2019. It’s the fairest and most effective way to share our statutory and environmental obligations, and will help us make a big difference together.
WHY NOW?
At Addison Lee Group, we have a long tradition of working to make urban life greener and healthier for future generations -but there’s still a long way to go. Here are some important statistics:
- 40 million people in over 100 of the largest cities in Europe are exposed to air quality which exceeds guidelines for one or more pollutants (World Health Organisation)
- Around one-quarter of the world’s CO2 emissions come from the transportation of people and goods (International Energy Agency)
- Children living near roads with heavy-duty vehicle traffic have twice the risk of respiratory problems as those living near less congested streets. (World Health Organisation)
Transport for London is committed to zero-emissions road transport by 2050. Other cities are making similar commitments. And as one of the UK’s largest fleet operators, it’s our duty to meet the expectations of our cities and people like you who live in them.
By supporting activities in the Greener Future Programme – which improve air quality, neutralise carbon emissions and enable long-term environmental projects – you are joining us in protecting our drivers, our passengers and our cities as we work towards zero emissions travel.
FAQ’s
WHY ARE YOU LAUNCHING THE GREENER FUTURE PROGRAMME NOW?
It’s clear that more needs to be done to help improve air quality in cities across the UK and around the world. While London has led the way in tackling air pollution, other UK cities have been in breach of their air quality limits. Cities such as Birmingham, Manchester and Leeds are now all considering the implementation of air quality zones; and as a major ground transportation provider, we want to ensure that we are supporting these important initiatives through our own programmes and investments.
The Greener Future Programme builds on the work that we have delivered to date – including investment in over £100m worth of new low-emission vehicles and leadership in autonomous vehicle projects. It is designed to show a wider commitment to working with cities and communities to make city life healthier for generations to come.
WHAT SORT OF INITIATIVES WILL YOU FUND THROUGH THE GREENER FUTURE PROGRAMME?
Addison Lee Group has invested in its fleet to ensure that it is compliant with the London Ultra Low Emission Zone, which comes into force on 8 April 2019. We also recently announced a partnership with Audi to introduce 5 all-electric E-tron SUVs into our Tristar fleet. The Greener Future Programme brings together a number of new initiatives, designed to go a step further and deliver wider contributions to the communities where we live and work, whilst supporting our driver’s livelihoods
This includes our commitment to 100% carbon-neutral journeys through a carbon off-setting programme, already launched in London for car passenger journeys and supporting projects in the developing world; and a series of community initiatives in London and Peterborough that help to deliver improved air quality and communities. We will also partner with public and private sector organisations to deliver the ecosystem that will enable the wider rollout of Electric Vehicles.
In addition to these initiatives in our cities, we are also looking further afield to improve the health and well-being of global communities, by partnering with Climate Care on a number of projects. The Greener Future Payment aims to offset our carbon emissions by funding international initiatives such as clean energy stoves in Kenya. This means that whenever you travel with us, you’ll be playing an active role in improving the environment somewhere in the world.
WHAT IS THE GREENER FUTURE PAYMENT?
The Greener Future Payment is an automatic fixed payment on Addison Lee and Tristar account journeys and Addison Lee account courier jobs. It’s a flat fee, so is always be the same charge irrespective of the length and time of journey.
The flat fee also applies to As Directed, Meetings & Events and Roadshows on a per vehicle basis. The payment is added before any applicable VAT is applied. The payment does not apply to Wheelchair Accessible vehicles or push bikes.
WHICH LOCATIONS DOES THE GREENER FUTURE PAYMENT APPLY TO?
The Greener Future Payment is applicable to all UK and international account customer journeys or courier jobs. The payment is the same irrespective of location.
IS THE GREENER FUTURE PAYMENT OPTIONAL?
The fee is applicable to all account journeys and courier jobs and is automatically applied. It’s not optional.
WILL THE GREENER FUTURE PROGRAMME AND INITIATIVES BE MEASURED?
We are committed to providing regular updates and a robust measurement framework to assess the impact of the programme. We are currently exploring a number of ways in which we can do this effectively.
WHAT ENVIRONMENTAL INITIATIVES ARE YOU CURRENTLY SUPPORTING?
To date, we have invested in over £100m worth of new vehicles to ensure that our PHVs are ULEZ compliant and we are committed to having a completely zero emission capable (ZEC) fleet.
Addison Lee Group was also recently selected to lead a £15 million UK government-backed consortium in November to launch autonomous-vehicle services in London by 2021. Alongside our partners, including the British leader in self-driving vehicle software, Oxbotica, Addison Lee Group has already begun mapping key areas of London to create the backdrop for new autonomous services which aim to reduce congestion and improve air quality.
The project builds on the MERGE research exercise carried out by a number of consortium members, which looked into Electric Vehicle infrastructure capabilities.
