LR Freelander: buy one and smile
Land Rover today announced the first projects in its CO2 offset programme.
This follows the company being boosted into the spotlight last year by an invasion of its factory by green activists. LR subsequently announced an offset programme to head off criticism about greenhouse gas emissions from its SUVs.
LR said that the programme "is the largest and most comprehensive programme of its kind ever undertaken by an automotive manufacturer and offsets emissions generated by Land Rover production operations in Britain and the first 45,000 miles vehicle use by UK customers."
The company said that the ultimate goal is CO2 neutrality with investments being made in renewable energy projects such as wind and solar, technology change and energy efficiency.
The first projects will include providing hydro-electric power to a remote area of Tajikistan and funding a wind farm in China. According to LR, together these projects will offset 150,000 tonnes of CO2 a year and bring social and environmental benefits to thousands of people. In addition, the company's evaluating projects in Uganda, India, Turkey and the Dominican Republic.
Company chief Phil Popham said: "We're taking an integrated approach to help reduce the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere. We've cut emissions from our vehicles and are working on technologies, like hybrids, that will make even bigger reductions. These offset schemes will make a difference now and will be of real benefit to communities, the environment and wildlife."
Projects
Tajikistan: installation of two hydro-electric generators supplied by naturally formed lake.
After the Soviet era diesel supplies to the region became intermittent. For the past 15 years, residents of the city of Khorog have suffered intermittent power supplies. This project brings a reliable source of power and light to the region. People in the city are now able to keep warm and cook without wood fuel for the first time in many years during which 70 per cent of the region's trees have been cut for firewood. In addition schools and the local hospital will have a reliable energy supply. This project will offset 50,000 tonnes of CO2 a year.
China: wind energy Hebei Province (250 km north of Beijing)
China is reputed to be commissioning a new coal fired power station every five days as the economy expands. Hebei province is one of the windiest in China and the project offsets nearly 100,000 tonnes of CO2 a year.
CO2 offset programme
LR and parent company Ford set up the CO2 offset programme as part of a multi-billion euro investment by Ford across its European operations to develop environmental technologies.
The programme is run by Climate Care, a carbon offset company, and overseen by an independent board of governance, with other offset schemes in the brew.
The price of all new Land Rovers sold in the UK includes an amount to pay to offset the CO2 emissions produced by their vehicle, calculated on the certified CO2 emissions level for each Land Rover model up to 45,000 miles -- typically three years use. The cost is from £85 to £165 depending on model.
New Land Rover vehicles all have lower emissions than predecessors in their model range, claimed LR. The all-new Freelander 2, for instance, has 11 per cent lower CO2 emissions in petrol form and the diesel version emits five per cent less than the outgoing Freelander. The combined fuel cycle for Freelander 2 TD4 manual is 37.7 mpg.
The new Range Rover TDV8 has performance figures to match the V8 petrol model but has 32 per cent better fuel economy, and emissions from LR's Solihull plant have been cut by 30 per cent since 1997, according to LR.
So now you can buy one with a clear conscience...
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