Land Rover extends CO2 drive

Dubai: Land Rover has launched a CO2 offset initiative in the Gulf and Levant which will offset the first 72,000km of customer use on all Range Rover, Range Rover Sport, Land Rover LR3, Land Rover LR2 and Defender vehicles sold in the Gulf and Levant from October 1.

The Gulf and Levant will be one of the first regions outside the UK and Europe to implement the programme.

The programme will offset all of the CO2 emissions generated by Land Rover's manufacturing operations in the UK, a practice in place since September 2006.

Robin Colgan, Managing Director, Land Rover Middle East, said, "We are determined to make sustainability a key element in our business. The extension of Land Rover's industry leading CO2 programme in this region is an important step in reducing our impact on the environment."

Land Rover is very well established in the Middle East and is the market leader in the premium SUV sector. This brings with it a certain responsibility and we feel that it's time to act."

This programme works through the funding of projects that avoid or reduce CO2 emissions, with the resulting amount of CO2 saved balancing the original emissions created.

All of the projects funded go through independent verification and validation to ensure and demonstrate that the CO2 emissions reductions are achieved.

The first projects include a wind farm in China, a hydro-electric generator in Tajikistan, and efficient cooking stoves in Uganda.

ClimateCare, an internationally respected CO2 offset provider, will manage the Land Rover scheme in the Gulf and Levant., as it has been doing in the UK since the programme was launched in 2006; globally more than 2 million tonnes of CO2 will be offset as part of the Land Rover CO2 programme.

After the 72,000 km mark has been reached customers can opt to continue to offset their mileage through ClimateCare's website. Similarly, existing customers can also participate in the programme by offsetting their emissions for a fee through ClimateCare.