Green transportation initiatives for smaller businesses

With fossil fuel-powered vehicles making up the majority of vehicles on UK roads, transport produced just over a quarter of the UK's total GHG emissions in 2019 making it a significant source of greenhouse gas emissions.

Many smaller businesses are weighing up migrating vehicle fleets to zero or ultra-low-emission alternatives, such as electric vans and cars, but have not yet taken the plunge, according to research by the British Business Bank.

While smaller changes are a good start – from encouraging your workforce to use public transport or signing up to the Cycle to Work scheme – various schemes, grants, and incentives are designed to help with the costs and steps you can take to make your business transport activities greener.

While transportation needs differ across business and industry sectors – from office-based employee commuting to customer deliveries and fleet haulage operations – grants and incentives are available to help build electrical charging infrastructure and subsidise some of the costs of purchasing new vehicles.

Further resources

We've rounded up some of the schemes and incentives available to equip your business with more sustainable transport and reduce your GHG emissions.

Reference to any organisation, business and event on this page does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation from the British Business Bank or the UK Government. Whilst we make reasonable efforts to keep the information on this page up to date, we do not guarantee or warrant (implied or otherwise) that it is current, accurate or complete. The information is intended for general information purposes only and does not take into account your personal situation, nor does it constitute legal, financial, tax or other professional advice. You should always consider whether the information is applicable to your particular circumstances and, where appropriate, seek professional or specialist advice or support.

Green Decoder

Featuring a glossary of sustainable terms curated in partnership with the Nottingham Business School, Nottingham Trent University, our green decoder is helping smaller businesses decipher the terminology surrounding decarbonisation.

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