Generate value by responsibly disposing of unwanted assets

With last year’s change in working patterns and more of us permanently working from home, organisations are beginning to dispose of assets they no longer need. Lot 6 of this framework provides a removal service and helps our customers to meet social value objectives.

What is an asset? 

An asset can be anything you own, from a mobile phone or electrical device to equipment and machinery. It can even be high capital value such as property, vehicles and land. 

How can we help?

Through lot 6 of our Courier and Specialist Movements framework, we offer an end-to-end managed service for the removal of unwanted assets of all sizes and weights. 

Our suppliers provide asset assessment, expert advice and alternative solutions on how to dispose of unwanted property. We can manage the moving, recycling, reselling, donating or securely disposing of assets.

Customers can donate and recycle unwanted assets, helping to meet social value targets. Or, customers can resell assets with secure transportation and storage, receiving part of the monetary value. A full audit trail is provided if the asset has to be destroyed.

The benefits

This framework will help you to responsibly remove unwanted assets. You will also be able to: 

  • realise value from almost any asset, including old and end-of-life vehicles, electronic devices or high value items
  • understand how much your assets are worth, with a a full valuation service for all assets prior to any auction
  • realise value from anything confiscated or seized under the Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA)
  • free up space for any items, including vacant office furniture, outdated equipment and lost property

With 6 available suppliers on this lot, we are able to move and dispose of any type of unwanted asset. This ranges from small items, such as mobile phones and IT equipment, to larger items including boats, land and buildings. 

Further competition and direct awards are enabled under this framework. You can visit our web page to learn how to buy through CCS, understand pricing and access relevant documents.

Find out more

To find out more about our unwanted assets framework and receive a fully managed service for asset recovery, 

  • visit the Courier and Specialist Movements Framework (RM6171) webpage
  • contact the CCS Service Desk at info@crowncommercial.gov.uk 
  • call us on 0345 410 2222

You can find a full list of all the commercial agreements we offer, alongside details of how we can help you build policy considerations into your procurement, in our interactive digital brochure.

Critical IT vulnerabilities in Apache’s log4j

On Friday 10 December 2021, a worldwide IT vulnerability was discovered in the logging function of an Apache product which the internet and internet-based services use widely.

The government is treating this issue with the utmost seriousness and continues to work to protect the services it relies on.

What CCS is doing

We continue to evaluate all our digital products and services, taking action to mitigate or remediate as necessary: 

  • following the implementation of security measures, access to the DigiTS travel and accommodation booking service has now been restored
  • the digital supplier filtering tools for supply teachers, management consultancy, legal services and facilities management were restored on Friday 17 December

Guidance for customers

All our procurement systems are now fully available. If you experience problems accessing any of our systems, please call us on 0345 410 2222 or email info@crowncommercial.gov.uk.

We continue to monitor responses from framework suppliers to ensure they are following National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) guidance. We advise you to make sure that your own organisation, and any suppliers who provide digital services for you, are also following NCSC guidance.

Guidance for suppliers

All suppliers to government should be following NCSC guidance and ensuring  products and services are evaluated and remediated as necessary. 

Please contact NCSC and gsgcyber@cabinetoffice.gov.uk with details of any affected service, an outline of the issue and the organisation/department(s) that you believe to be affected.

Chronic environmental impact, a simple preventative cure for the NHS

The professionalism and speed at which the NHS adapted its buildings and facilities to cope with the influx of COVID-19 infected patients has been and continues to be impressive and inspiring. One of the many strategies employed was the rapid deployment of modular buildings. The advancements made in such manufactured facilities are astonishing and are one of the reasons why we use them for the data centres used for our Crown Hosting agreement.

So, if I told you Crown Hosting using modular buildings could cut your ongoing electricity usage and bill for your data centre information technology (IT) by at least 75%, the carbon dioxide equivalent emissions (CO₂e) by 99.9%, significantly reduce your water impact on the environment, generally become an environmental good egg and release valuable space in your buildings, would you read the rest of this blog?

Modular construction

Hospital operating theatres, intensive care units and isolation wards are all services where air-flow handling is vitally important for infection control. Modular buildings are manufactured off-site to exacting quality standards that are well tested before they leave the factory, then simply craned into a spare area of land and removed again when they are no longer needed. Hospitals have used them for fast deployment of longish term, but essentially temporary facilities for many years. 

Modular construction in sustainability terms is a huge boon simply because the buildings can be recycled. The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) has consistently reported that traditional bricks and mortar construction and demolition are by far the biggest contributor to landfill sites in the UK. Globally, cement, steel, aluminium and plastic used in construction are responsible for 39% of the CO2e emitted and 30% of the water used in the UK every year. Clearly, buildings that can be removed to another site and re-used can only be a good thing for the environment.

Data centres

Data centres are for the IT widgets, servers, networks, security systems that very few people see, but we all use. They can be a cupboard, a room or a building. The cloud, the internet, our email, photos, banks, health records, payroll, pensions, the IT for everything our modern society relies upon lives in data centres. They need to be secure and reliable. The disruption caused when they go wrong could mean you can’t see your photos or at the other end of the scale, lives could be lost. 

The vast majority of organisations, including those in the NHS, have a problem with a mismatch between the buildings they construct as data centres and the fast pace of change in IT. If you build a hospital you expect it to last decades, but traditionally built data centres constructed even 10 years ago are obsolete. The problem is that the IT is getting smaller and we need it to do more. The net effect of this is that we try to cram ever more into those cupboards and rooms, but the facility obsolescence becomes ever more costly to overcome.

Tiny rooms

EURECA was a European study of public sector data centre facilities, including the UK, and it found that 97% of them were tiny. The problem with tiny facilities is the energy wastage associated with keeping them reliable (so the IT stays on) and getting rid of the heat generated by the IT. Cupboards and rooms in buildings will either use an extension of the cooling system used for the building or bolt-on additional air-conditioning units. This has huge potential to be highly inefficient. The EURECA survey found that on average, for every 1kWh used by the IT, another 3kWh was wasted by the facilities. When you put more IT into these tiny rooms, such as when it is refreshed, the facility problem gets worse, not better.

The so what, “I’ve just one room/cupboard/server room”, is that everyone has lots of them, scattered in every building, the cumulative problem is enormous. DEFRA has been tracking electricity use in central government ‘server rooms’ for nearly a decade. The last report in 2019 estimated that 56% of all electricity consumed by central government IT was within data centres. This percentage will likely be similar across the public sector and is an enormous electricity bill just for the IT, but then think about the 3 times amount wasted through inefficient facilities. Frankly, I’m embarrassed first by the impact this has on our environment, but then I get cross about the waste of taxpayer money.

Crown Hosting

Crown Hosting came about to address these problems for public sector organisations that need data centre facilities and it does so using modular construction but on a huge pan-public sector scale. Crown Hosting is a CCS procurement framework and the single joint venture supplier of the services within it is called Crown Hosting Data Centres Ltd. The products and prices are pre-negotiated and benchmarked, and procurement is by direct award.

Crown Hosting’s scale addresses the problem of the enormous number of ‘tiny’ facilities, scattered everywhere, all needing cooling and electrical plants. So rather than looking after the cooling and electrical plant of thousands of tiny rooms, it looks after tens of rooms each of which is able to contain the same quantity of IT as hundreds of tiny rooms. This changes the provision from a multitude of cottage industries to mass production on a few sites. The cost drops enormously on a number of fronts including land cost, construction costs, building operation (facilities management), but the aggregation reduces IT costs too in areas such as networks and IT support.

The modular buildings are a boon too, their assembly on-site takes about 4 months which is much faster than the bricks and mortar approach that takes about 2 years after you have agreed on the design. In an IT-centric world where the IT changes every year, reducing construction time to months means that the data centre buildings are just right for the IT that is about to be deployed and for as far in the future as we dare to gaze. If in the future the buildings are not right for the IT anymore, they can be reassembled in a way that is.

Airflow and cooling

The modular buildings designed for hospital settings (operating theatres, intensive care units, isolation wards) have infection control and air-flow handling as a primary requirement. Those designed for temporary industrial kitchens have distribution of lots of electricity and removal of the heat from stoves and ovens as one of their requirements. Funnily enough, data centres have the problem of distribution of enormous amounts of electricity, combined with careful air-flow handling to get rid of the heat and prevent hot-spots. Kitchens in the UK, even industrial ones rarely use energy-intensive cooling systems, at home if it is hot in the kitchen we open the window.

Crown Hosting data centres continuously mix cool air from the outside with the warm air coming off the IT to provide a continuous temperature of 25°C to the IT. The average 24 hour temperature in the UK never goes above 20°C, so for the majority of the time that mixing is enough. For those parts of days where the outside temperature is above 25°C then simple drip fed evaporation of water into the air-intake provides enough cooling for it to be above 36°C outside before any energy intensive top up cooling is needed. 

Electricity

The cooling technologies employed by Crown Hosting data centres are simple, but the application of them is advanced and it means that less than 0.2kWh is wasted by the facility for every 1kWh used by the IT within it. We also encourage our customers to look carefully at what IT they put in our data centres. There is an environmental manufacturing cost of replacing IT, but electricity usage is an important factor. newer IT uses less electricity than older, a lot less to do the same work. The team behind the EURECA study illustrated that if you replaced 9 year old IT with new and it did the same job in the same timeframe, then you needed just 15% of the IT. The sustainability message from this is that you need to take charge and calculate when the environmental cost of changing the IT is lower than keeping the old.

Saving electricity is an important environmental message for data centres because the IT within them consume so much and facilities can waste even more. The carbon footprint can be directly related to the electrical consumption, in addition over 40% of global water withdrawals from the environment are associated with electricity production. Crown Hosting goes a step further than this, all of its electricity purchased from the national grid is green, so zero CO₂e or water usage from the mains electricity.

Find out more

If you are interested in saving money and the environment, consider relocating your IT to 1 or more of the Crown Hosting facilities. You have the power to make a difference so please, be a good environmental egg. To find out more, get in touch and speak to a member of our trusted team today. 

How the sustainable domino effect will help the NHS

To achieve sustainability within the NHS will feel like moving a mountain with a teaspoon, it is possible but it will be a long and hard journey. The tasks are endless each with their own unique problems and firmly underlined with the central core value that what they do is save lives. A change can be ideal in a sustainable target, but detrimental to the area in their role in patient care. 

While looking at what needs to be done it is often thought that answering in-depth riddles on the creation of the universe could be easier. When you look at the NHS as a single entity the task becomes too large, instead, by breaking it down into the component parts it helps to make it less intimidating, but what these components are is yet to be decided.

When you mention the NHS to anyone the initial thought is the large trust led hospitals, but what about all of the health centres providing local GP care to the community, the nurses, care professionals and admin teams that keep these areas running? Let’s look at one of these areas as an example of what could be changed. 

Power

The first thing that people think of when it comes to carbon net-zero is power. Looking at this from one aspect would be a move to a green sourced power supply, maybe including carbon offset certificates. In an ideal world, it would be a mix of solar and air source heat pumps, if the property is in a more rural area and has the available space then a small wind turbine would complement the building’s requirement. Theoretically, this could create an off-grid generation of supply, albeit I would never suggest that a health centre is fully off-grid the risk is too high. 

Lights, computers, administration and waste are all areas that need to be readdressed. Lights can be changed to LED systems that have a much lower per hour cost and better longevity, plus they are much brighter than previous energy saving bulbs. With the computer systems, it is more common to see medical notes on a computer system compared to the old style paper records. Laptops are more environmentally friendly than desktop systems but they do have a theft risk connected with them. Having a server system located off site would help to reduce the building CO2 further. One aspect of administration is the number of paper letters sent to patients. The majority of citizens now have email addresses so a simple email would be ideal and at zero cost. There are the exceptions where some will need to continue with physical letters, but as time moves on more and more are used to email as a main source of communication.  

Waste

Hospital sites can encompass all of the same plans as a health centre, but one area that requires additional thinking is waste, which is getting more attention in recent times. Would it not be better for the standard and recyclable waste to be collected from one location avoiding the need for the collection lorry to travel around a site? Offensive waste is a different matter entirely and needs a country wide approach. 

None of the ideas mentioned here are new, the NHS has multiple areas of interest and targets such as all NHS buildings must have LED lights by 2030, low emission generators and cooling systems with emergency generators being battery powered by 2025, along with electric vehicle charging stations in all car parks again by 2025. The plans are in place, the technology is available and getting better all the time. 

A circular economy

It is no surprise that we all have to look towards a circular economy in order to stop the reliance on a limited resource of natural materials. How we can achieve this in an organisation that has to dispose of some of its waste for infection control is another matter. In light of recent events with the COVID-19 outbreak and the quantity of PPE that was required and then destroyed, it is understandable that calls for washable PPE are the way forward but the question remains how can this be controlled in a medical arena?

This is where we have to embrace change, to encourage innovation with clear routes to market. There is no doubt that there are companies that can and have developed washable PPE, but will this product have additional requirements around it? Will it require specially developed washing machines, with new detergent? And what would the wastewater be like, would it be safe or would that then have to go through a cleaning process? As always in sustainability, every question is subsequently answered by 2 more questions.

Improved air quality

Right now it is procurement’s time to shine, the world has changed and one thing that COVID-19 has brought to the attention is being greener, the call for a greener rebuild and how air quality improved during the lockdown. Procurement can help achieve this target goal but it is down to all of us to look into each project and see how it can be improved, we need to stop the phrase of ‘business as usual’ and embrace the thought process of reimagining everything with a green sustainable tint to it. 

Data produced by both the NHS and the British Lung Foundation (BLF) have shown significant improvements in air quality during the lockdown, that asthma sufferers found their symptoms were better and that we all noticed a cleaner environment. The BLF reported “one in six people living with lung conditions in the UK say their symptoms have got better because of the fall in toxic air pollution since lockdown”. 

The solution

This is where the domino effect can come into play, by all of us making a transition to a more sustainable cleaner lifestyle it eases the burden on the NHS. Moving to walking or cycling to work, reducing the journeys taken with cars by working from home, purchasing electric vehicles and clean air zones, all of which will not just reduce harmful emissions and particulates but will help with the overall health of the citizen, which will, in turn, reduce the demand on the NHS. 

Prevention instead of cure is a phrase that has done the rounds a number of times, sustainability is exactly that. A council making a decision to close off an area to traffic to reduce pollutants can have a positive domino effect on the area, as the chances of citizens young and old developing breathing related issues can drastically reduce, and all of the health care required for this illness is no longer under the same pressure, so fewer trips to a hospital will mean fewer car journeys, along with all of the administration for the appointment and subsequent care. 

A two pronged approach to NHS sustainability is going to be required, yes there are the standard changes required like the LED lights and battery powered generators, but a wider picture has to be taken into account by the local area, by making the towns and cities cleaner and sustainable the effect will be felt by the local NHS which will by proxy become more sustainable. 

Get in touch

To see our wide range of solutions for the NHS please visit our dedicated web page. If you want to find out more about how sustainability is embedded in our frameworks please contact Andrew Smith at andrew.smith1@crowncommercial.gov.uk

3 steps to sustainability for the public sector fleet

One positive effect of the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) has been the beneficial impact less travel has had on air quality. 

Subsequently, there has been an increased interest in sustainable transport solutions, accelerating the change from conventional internal combustion engines to alternatively fuelled vehicles, such as electric ones. 

At CCS, we know that many organisations expect to begin the shift to sustainable solutions in 2021. This is a challenging process for any organisation, so to help, we have identified the 3 steps organisations looking to transition to sustainability must consider.

Step 1 – know your data

First, you need to develop a clear understanding of how your fleet is currently being used. 

You should seek information on journey types, frequency and mileage, as well as the service, maintenance and repair impact on vehicles. You also need to understand driver behaviour which impacts fuel consumption and emissions. 

It is important to factor in hired vehicles and instances where employees use their own cars (also known as grey fleet). Remember to build in the cost to your business of all those mileage and subsistence claims!

Step 2 – understand demand and scope solutions

Next, you need to understand the optimum composition of your fleet.  

It sounds obvious, but your first consideration should always be how to reduce the need to travel altogether. For those essential journeys, you will likely end up with a blend of fleet and pool vehicles, hired in vehicles and, yes, grey fleet.

With the average car on the UK road 8 years old, and likely to be powered by petrol or diesel, grey fleet is an area that often inadvertently pushes up an organisation’s carbon footprint.

To counter this, salary sacrifice schemes are an effective method of providing a new, cost-effective and low-emission vehicle to employees while reducing an organisation’s carbon footprint and improving staff retention. 

To obtain buy-in for your electrification plans, you need early and meaningful stakeholder engagement. This of course includes employees, but also your internal sustainability, finance, estates/property and HR teams too. 

It is also critically important to plan your vehicle charging infrastructure early and before placing any orders for your new electric vehicles.  

Home-based charging can be relatively easy to implement and can even form part of the vehicle lease contracts. Work-based charging can be more challenging and costly. Explore options such as using public charging infrastructure or implementing revenue generating charge infrastructure. 

Step 3 – achieve great things 

Now to set your strategy and begin to implement changes. 

New vehicle models and technologies are being introduced at a rapid pace, so don’t assume you won’t need to revisit your strategy periodically. We share regular updates to help keep you up-to-date. 

Our Fleet Portal is a great tool that can help you identify all the latest vehicles available in the market.  It provides access to all vehicles available in the UK and, by using the filtering systems, it’s easy to identify those vehicles that meet your criteria. The competitive quoting functionality ensures value for money and visibility of whole life costs when comparing different vehicles.

Next steps

Wherever you are on the journey, every step you take moves you closer to reducing the carbon footprint.

Need help with your next step? We are here to help you with every aspect of your shift to sustainability.

Back on the road: building your green fleet plan

This article was originally published in Public Sector Executive.

The Government’s plan for growth recognises the role that our fleet and transport infrastructure will play as we seek to build back better. 

Transitioning to net zero will present opportunities for economic development and job creation across the country, encouraging new business growth, and helping us to leave our environment in a better condition than we found it.

And the interweaving focus on net zero, infrastructure investment, and the environment demonstrates the potential benefits for the whole UK presented by the technology that has emerged over the last two decades – technology which the Government is backing to power our recovery after the pandemic.

It also puts new demands on the public sector’s approach to fleet management, and makes the case for change even stronger. 

Public bodies need to consider now how they can adapt to a net zero, electric future, and what co-benefits can be achieved by making the switch. 

The switch

With the sale of new petrol and diesel cars and vans set to be banned by 2030, the public sector is approaching a very real turning point in how it manages its fleets.

The Government is investing £1.3 billion in the rollout of charge points for electric vehicles in homes, streets and on motorways across England. At the same time, investment is promised in the UK’s car manufacturing bases to accelerate the transition to alternatively fueled vehicles – whether electric or hydrogen-powered.

Public sector fleets are already starting the process of transitioning to fully electric or hybrid vehicles while also boosting their regional charging infrastructure. 

I recently worked with East Devon District Council – a large, rural local authority in the south of England – who decided to act on climate change by converting its streetscene fleet to lower carbon alternatives; in this case, electric Light Commercial Vehicles. The eventual solution is clean, low-carbon, and able to traverse the full range of the largely dispersed local authority area. 

Their new fleet can return to one of two charging stations for overnight charging, with real-time charging data so the fleet manager can be sure charging time is being maximised. There are now plans to install more charging infrastructure for staff, supporting electric vehicle usage beyond a single council service.

The solution is designed to be easily scalable, and while its benefits won’t automatically transfer to every local authority, the key elements of how we reached it will. More on that later.

The risks of grey fleet

Aside from vehicles owned by your organisation, it’s important to factor employee-owned vehicles into your net zero calculations.

Vehicles that your employees own and use for business purposes are commonly referred to as ‘grey fleet’. It’s reckoned that over a billion miles are incurred each year in employee-owned vehicles.

As we emerge from the pandemic and the UK inevitably gets back on the road, we’re likely to see a rise in employees making use of their own vehicles for business purposes. Any increase in grey fleet usage has health and safety risks. It also poses a greater risk from higher CO2 levels, with the average age of grey fleet vehicles estimated to be 8 years old.

If your employees are using vehicles that pollute more than your own fleet would, it’s worth considering a ‘green’ salary sacrifice scheme. 

Like any salary sacrifice scheme, the employer takes control of its design. Schemes are designed as cost-neutral for the employer, meaning no investment is required. 

The employer can specify the type of vehicles available, including Ultra Low Emissions vehicles (ULEV), and schemes can include fully comprehensive insurance, servicing and maintenance, road fund licence and breakdown cover. 

For electric or plug-in hybrid vehicles, salary sacrifice scheme providers can source home-charging equipment and build the right solutions into the lease package for the individual.

Like the traditional fleet example, there are commonalities in the approach that can be taken by local authorities that will deliver benefits suited to the reality of your local area. 

Three steps to sustainability

At CCS, we know that many organisations expect to begin the shift to sustainable solutions in 2021. This is a challenging process for any organisation, so to help, we have identified the 3 steps organisations looking to transition to sustainability must consider.

  • Step 1 – know your data

First, you need to develop a clear understanding of how your fleet is currently being used. 

You should seek information on journey types, frequency and mileage, as well as the service, maintenance and repair impact on vehicles. You also need to understand driver behaviour which impacts fuel consumption and emissions. 

Factor in hired vehicles and grey fleet. Don’t overlook the cost to your business of all those mileage and subsistence claims.

  • Step 2 – understand demand and scope solutions

Next, you need to understand the optimum composition of your fleet.  

It sounds obvious, but your first consideration should always be how to reduce the need to travel altogether. For those essential journeys, you will likely end up with a blend of fleet and pool vehicles, hired in vehicles and, yes, grey fleet.

Consider whether salary sacrifice schemes will work for you, and start early and meaningful stakeholder engagement. Talk to your employees at large, and your sustainability, finance, estates and HR teams too. 

Plan your vehicle charging infrastructure before placing any orders for your new electric vehicles. Home-based charging can be relatively easy to implement and can even form part of the vehicle lease contracts. Work-based charging can be more challenging and costly. Explore options such as using public charging infrastructure or implementing revenue generating charge infrastructure. 

  • Step 3 – achieve great things 

Set your strategy and begin to make changes. New vehicle models and technologies are coming along all the time, so revisit your strategy periodically. CCS’s Fleet Portal is a great tool that can help you identify all the latest vehicles available in the market. 

It provides access to all vehicles available in the UK and, by using the filtering systems, you can easily identify vehicles that meet your criteria. The competitive quoting functionality ensures value for money and visibility of whole life costs when comparing different vehicles.

Let us power your fleet

Our suite of Total Fleet Solutions provide you with everything you need to power your fleet through uncertain times. Whether you’re looking to procure, adapt and maintain vehicles, or run your fleet efficiently and sustainably, we’re here to help.

To learn more, visit our Total Fleet Solutions web page which is packed with framework news, case studies and insight. 

If you have any questions, our fleet category experts are here to help – contact the team.

Kim Harrison, Crown Commercial Service’s Senior Category Lead for Fleet

Green salary sacrifice schemes

This article was originally published in GreenFleet.

After just a week of the initial UK-wide lockdown, road usage was around 25% of what it would normally have been at that point in the year. Since then, the number of passenger cars on the road is back to over 90% of what it was in previous years, and unsurprisingly with the boom in online deliveries and home working, the use of light and heavy commercial vehicles is greater than ever.

However, 2020 has taught operational fleets that they need flexibility and as a result, they have been forced to review their fleet profile. In response to declining demand and an increasing desire to get the most out of every pound, some will have decided to reduce their vehicle numbers or switch to a new, blended approach; from operational vehicles assigned to individual drivers to a centrally managed pool of vehicles accessed ad hoc by employees.

However, as lockdown restrictions have eased, we have seen the UK start to return to the road. For employees, the temptation to use their personal car will be high. It will be easily available, and may even feel like the safer option. But an increase in the usage of grey fleet poses several potential risks to the fleet manager.

Grey fleet risks – health and safety

More than one billion miles are incurred each year by the public sector in employee-owned vehicles.

Grey fleet cannot be directly and consistently managed as part of the overall fleet, and often exposes businesses to safety and legal risks. Under health and safety law, employers have the same duty of care obligations when their staff use personal vehicles for business as they do when using a vehicle provided by the organisation.

While fleet vehicles are covered by an organisation’s service and maintenance routines and regular safety checks, grey fleet drivers often admit to not regularly checking things like tyre tread and pressure, oil levels, and vehicle lights, giving rise to safety risks.

Businesses have a continued duty of care to their staff who are driving for business, whether in a fleet vehicle or their own. The scope runs from vehicle condition, adequate insurance provision, driver qualification and suitability, as well as other localised policies.

Failure to exert the appropriate control measures for grey fleet can have widespread damage from reputational, financial and legal responsibilities extending under the Corporate Manslaughter legislation.

Employers need to ensure that their actions, or inactions, do not “cause or permit” offences under the Road Traffic Act and demonstrate they have taken all reasonable steps to ensure that the vehicle is roadworthy and suitable for use. Organisations also need to be able to evidence they have checked that an employee’s vehicle is appropriately insured to cover business usage and that the driver is suitably licensed and skilled to drive for business.

Green risk

At the same time, the average grey fleet vehicle is estimated to be 8 years old. A fair correlation can be drawn between these vehicles being older and having higher CO2 levels, and therefore releasing more harmful pollutants into our environment.

This harmful impact has to be considered within an organisation’s carbon footprint, hampering its ability to become net zero.

Standard internal combustion engines will also incur extra costs for the business through clean air zone charging, which discourages high polluting vehicles in urban areas.

A simple solution

A vehicle salary sacrifice scheme is a tried and tested tool that can be used to tackle the grey fleet dilemma. Employers are realising the many benefits such a scheme can bring to their organisation and their employees.

A salary sacrifice scheme can mitigate many of the risks associated with grey fleet and support environmental policies through the uptake of low emissions vehicles.

When an organisation sets up a vehicle salary sacrifice scheme, employees who choose to join it acquire a brand new leased vehicle.

The lease includes fully comprehensive insurance, vehicle servicing and maintenance, road fund licence and breakdown cover. The cost of the lease is deducted from the employee’s salary before it is paid. If an employee then uses the vehicle for business purposes, the risks associated with a poorly maintained and possibly unroadworthy vehicle are immediately reduced.

To go greener, an organisation can also specify which vehicles are to be available in the scheme. For example, it could be set up so that only Ultra Low Emissions Vehicles (ULEV) are available. For electric or plug-in hybrid vehicles, salary sacrifice scheme providers can source home-charging equipment and build the right solutions into the lease package for the individual.

Realising the full benefit of a scheme depends upon careful vehicle selection – so vehicle choice is key. Lower Benefit in Kind (BiK) taxation for ULEVs, which emit less CO2 and are more environmentally friendly than petrol or diesel vehicles, will support both your organisation and your employees to reduce your carbon footprint and your impact on the environment.

Salary sacrifice scheme providers can advise on vehicle choice and achieve optimum results in cost and environmental objectives. They can implement and manage a scheme and support with marketing a scheme if required. Most will provide an online portal where employees can browse the range of vehicles included in the scheme and customer organisations can specify the level of support and service they require from their chosen scheme provider.

Value to employers and employees

The 2021 Budget has reiterated the importance of sustainable solutions for the UK, and confirmed the Government’s commitment to green growth.

Tax changes that were introduced in April 2020 made electric vehicles extremely attractive for both employers and employees, especially when they are leased through a salary sacrifice scheme.

The tipping point was the introduction of zero percent BiK for ULEVs in 2020/21, alongside a new 6% BiK rate for hybrid cars capable of travelling between 40 and 69 miles on a single electric charge.

Low tax rates remained favourable heading into 2021/22 and for several years ahead. Home-based vehicle charging solutions included in a scheme also benefit from these low ‘benefits in kind’ taxation rates.

An added benefit is that, as it’s the organisation who is contracting for the scheme and effectively acting as guarantor, there are no credit checks required for individual employees. Employers can also build in buffers to protect themselves from costs – such as early termination fees and long-term absence of scheme members.

Encouraging the uptake of ULEVs improves an organisation’s green credentials and, when these vehicles are used for business purposes, can support compliance with environmental policy requirements and emissions targets. ULEVs will support your organisation to meet its Carbon Net Zero target whilst continuing to deliver operational requirements.  

Let us power your fleet

If you want to enjoy the benefits of a green salary sacrifice scheme, we have a wide range of suppliers who can support your requirements.

They bring a wealth of experience and are able to advise you on setting the right policy, vehicle selection, promoting uptake amongst your staff and can also support with administering a scheme on an ongoing basis.

Find out more 

To learn more about salary sacrifice, take a look at our sacrifice scheme agreement page.

For more information on reaching Carbon Net Zero visit our webpage, or if you have any questions, we are here to help – contact the team.

Make way for renewable energy generation

Climate change is here. Shifting weather patterns are causing record high temperatures, days of rainfall in a matter of hours, and raging wildfires worldwide. Only by changing our behaviours can we tackle climate change and global warming. 

The UK government is on the move towards carbon net zero. As a global leader, it was the first major economy to commit to a legally binding target of net zero emissions by 2050. In a white paper, the UK outlined its plans on how our energy system will transition to achieve the UK’s net zero goals.  

COP26 CEO Peter Hill identified 4 priorities for countries to achieve the stretching targets set for COP26:

  • accelerate the phase-out of coal
  • prevent deforestation
  • speed up the switch to electric vehicles
  • encourage investment in renewables

The UK has made progress in several areas, including phasing out coal and investing in renewable energy. The UK’s net zero future will be shaped by renewable energy, which will drive the green industrial revolution. 

Pivoting from fossil fuels to renewables

The UK is gaining ground in reducing the use of coal for electricity. Last year coal accounted for only 1.8% of the UK’s electricity mix, compared with 40% almost a decade ago. In 2021, the UK went 5,000 hours without coal-fired electricity. Pivoting away from fossil fuels such as oil, coal and natural gas paves the way toward renewable generation. 

Renewable energy generation produces electricity where the input fuel comes from a renewable source including wind, solar, hydro, tidal, geothermal, and biomass. Earlier this year the UK broke a new wind power record, generating just over a third of the country’s energy from wind.  

Our customers are accelerating plans to meet carbon net-zero by 2030. Many are introducing energy efficiency measures as the first step to reduce the electricity demand. The bulk of the required changes revolve around using LED bulbs, installing energy management systems, and changing how buildings are heated and insulated. 

However, these changes alone will not meet the target. How customers source energy is crucial, and more renewable generation forms part of the answer.  

Renewable energy is key to electricity demand 

In the UK, the volume of renewable energy generation has grown from 6.9% in 2010 to 37% in 2019. In recent years, the upsurge in renewable energy generation has been driven by the dramatically increasing capacity for renewable generators, with UK capacity rising by 6.5% in 2019 to reach 47,163MW.

New renewable generation capacity needs to be built to replace ageing fossil fuel and nuclear power plants and power the additional demand for electric vehicles and heating. According to the National Grid’s Future Energy Scenarios, on average, there is a need to increase renewable capacity from 40GW in 2019 to 88GW in 2030 and 186GW in 2050.

By switching to renewable energy sources, our customers can help the development of new renewable capacity in two ways: 

  • directly, by investing in new to earth projects through our Heat Networks and Electricity Generation Assets (HELGA) DPS
  • indirectly, by purchasing one of our green options through our Supply of Energy framework

For example, many customers have or are starting to install on-site generation on top of car ports at hospitals and fallow land next to a depot.  

Wind: the UK’s largest renewable electricity source

By the beginning of September 2021, the UK had 10,973 wind turbines with a total installed capacity of over 24.2GW, the sixth-largest capacity of any country in 2019. The UK Government has committed to a significant expansion of offshore capacity by 2030.

The UK recently announced its intent to increase its installed capacity for offshore wind generation to 40GW by 2030, increasing overall wind capacity to over 50GW, in line with its commitment to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050.

Other renewable energy sources

Bioenergy now represents a sixth of UK generation capacity, with an 11.5% share of generation in 2019. Solar generators produced 1.4% more electricity in 2019 than in the previous year. Most UK solar farms are in England, where generation increased by 1.1%. In Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales, solar generation rose by 9.1%, 5.7% and 1.2%, respectively.

The vast majority of the UK’s hydro generation assets are in Scotland, where generation increased 7.4% on the previous year. This was in line with a 5.5% increase in UK rainfall, weighted by the location of UK hydro resources, as hydro capacity remained unchanged.

Lean into renewable energy

As the nation’s largest public sector procurement organisation, we are working hard to develop innovative solutions to help the public sector achieve its net zero carbon goals. As a result, many natural synergies exist between the solutions CCS is developing for the public sector and the priorities set by the Government for COP26. 

Our energy team is here to help develop the necessary processes and products for our customers. The team works collaboratively, exploring the ways new and existing developments can be maximised and by reaching out to our suppliers to create innovative solutions. 

Using our frameworks can help the UK speed up its investment in renewable energy generation and phase out the use of coal. First, our supply of energy framework offers green tariffs to ensure energy is linked to a renewable energy asset. Our HELGA framework covers renewable energy generation, demand management, and sustainability. 

We are here to help

Whether you are just starting or already underway with your net zero carbon journey, we have several solutions that can help. So get in touch, visit our carbon net zero webpage, or download the 3 step energy guide.

Is data the golden thread to decarbonisation?

The COP26 climate summit is a make or break moment in the fight to reduce global warming. Our Prime Minister Boris Johnson went so far as to call it a ‘turning point for humanity’. 

Climate crisis and opportunity

The primary difference between COP26 and its predecessors is the broader acceptance that the world is facing a climate crisis. The frequency and severity of wildfires, floods, storms, and droughts are visible signs indicating action is needed now, and that the next 10 years will be crucial.

If global climate pledges are not met, it could lead to a rise in greenhouse gas emissions of nearly a fifth by 2030. The world’s nations must increase their ambitions. Only a 45% reduction in emissions by that date, and a further move to net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, can stabilise temperatures at the necessary level.

But, out of every crisis comes opportunity. Reshaping the global energy markets in a more renewable and sustainable direction represents the biggest opportunity for change. Additional green opportunities include electric vehicles, choosing better packaging, reducing the use of single-use plastics, buying locally, minimising the impact of transport on the environment, reducing flights, and improving energy efficiency across our built environment. 

The golden thread running through all these areas is data.

Data and technology: the golden thread

Data is the golden thread fueling the advanced technology needed to monitor, predict and reduce emissions. Aggregating and analysing data supports evidence-based decision making. For example, advanced analytics and artificial intelligence (AI) can help you set and achieve emissions targets that yield concrete results. 

The power of artificial intelligence

AI and machine learning can help reveal deep insights into your carbon footprint. With greater visibility and understanding it is easier to identify cost-saving ways to accelerate sustainable transformation. 

From baselining current emissions to tracking progress, right through to carbon accounting and supply chain transparency, AI-powered data analytics provide insights and predictions about how to improve processes and become more fuel-efficient. 

Artificial intelligence (AI) can also help reduce waste in the food industry by forecasting consumer demand more accurately or performing quality control. AI technologies can also be used to help optimize energy management. For instance, using sensors can prevent energy wastage by ensuring lighting is only used when needed.

Efficient fuel consumption

Within our National Fuels agreement, suppliers provide data on fuel volumes on a monthly basis, which will help fleet managers plan as you work towards your carbon net zero goals. 

Consumption volumes will vary with seasonal demand. The data you receive from suppliers will help you manage demand and reduce fuel consumption. You can also choose biofuel to help work towards carbon net zero goals.

Add telemetry to your tank

You can also add telemetry to your tanks to access data, manage fuel orders, and appoint a supplier to check infrastructure to see what changes can be made to reduce or change current fuel products to alternative greener fuels.

The RM6177 National Fuels 2 framework enables you to access the latest range of greener fuel alternatives that support your organisation’s CNZ contributions and energy efficiency. Alternative fuels can help you achieve this by sending out fewer emissions in powering vehicles or heating buildings.

The products available through this framework include but are not limited to:

  • HVO (Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil)

  • blended biofuels, which consist of ratios of combined fossil and biofuel, such as B10 and B20

  • AdBlue on diesel vehicles to reduce exhaust emissions

  • biomass such as wood pellets or chips to heat buildings

  • bio LPG, which is propane produced from renewable feedstocks such as plant and vegetable waste material

  • E10 Petrol to help reduce carbon emissions

Telematics on vehicle data

Simple telematics devices provide a wealth of data, not just on journeys made but also on driver style. For instance, data on fuel consumption, vehicle tracking and driver behaviour can be used to identify safety improvements and cost reductions based on the whole life cost of vehicles in your fleet. 

Analysed data can support evidence-based decision making on your vehicles’ profile and policies. Data insight can also lead to better driving habits, rooting out behaviour that negatively impacts your footprint. As an example, harsh acceleration and braking not only wastes fuel, it also releases more pollutants into the atmosphere from the tailpipe and tyre particles. 

Through the Vehicle Telematics agreement suppliers can offer products and services to enable you to capture and analyse vehicle data that can improve your fleet operations, inform your fleet policy and identify opportunities to transition to a cleaner, greener fleet.

A greener journey profile

Analysing your journey and trip profiles, amalgamating journeys through overnight stays, substituting for more sustainable transport types or even eliminating the need to travel can help you to reach your carbon net zero goals.

Our Public Sector Travel and Venue Solutions agreement provides you with online and offline booking services for all your travel, venue hire and accommodation needs which can facilitate your transition to a more sustainable travel plan. 

This agreement gives you access to travel management solutions covering a range of transport methods so that you can find a solution that’s right for you. 

Deploy innovative technology 

Traffic management equipment is a crucial enabler to establish and maintain clean air zones. It includes number plate recognition, vehicle charging infrastructure, and traffic monitoring CCTV systems. 

Roadside furniture such as signs, traffic lights, and street lighting can extend your green impact through environmental monitoring of air quality, sustainable street lighting, and back office systems.

Decarbonise the built environment using data

Crunching data enables predictive forecasting in other ways too. City planners and building owners can use the data collected from multiple sources to create digital simulations of physical assets, systems, buildings, or even an entire city. 

These virtual computer models, also known as digital twins, are emerging as a powerful tool to cut emissions. For example, by aggregating and analysing data from sources such as heating, air-conditioning, employee schedules, traffic flow patterns, a digital twin enables users to monitor and distribute energy resources better. 

You can further enhance your transition to digitisation and communicate with your customers and staff via SMS, email or other digital channels while removing energy-inefficient printers and mailing equipment from your estate and reducing road transport. Our Hybrid Mail, Digital and Transformational Communications section of our agreement can help you improve efficiency and lower your carbon emissions.

Data’s role cannot be underestimated

The question at the start was, is data the golden thread? The answer is yes. 

In business, data is everything. It influences how you market or sell, and to whom; it can inform how you manage and work. It is the same in the world of decarbonisation. 

Making clear, data-driven decisions on plans to decarbonise specific areas is dependent on having the quality data you can trust. Whether you are weighing up options to change a road layout to increase traffic flow and avoid idling vehicles or working out optimum heating patterns, the impact of the actions you are planning will only work if the data can corroborate the results. 

Data is not just a set of numbers on a spreadsheet. It is the lifeblood of a decision. It is how fundamental long term changes can come about and help all of us hit the targets we have for making this a better, cleaner planet.

Take the next step

Many of our frameworks and agreements allow you to use data and technology across a range of areas. Take a look at our agreements to discover the full range of possibilities and help lower your emissions today.  

Our carbon net zero cityscape interactive guide is designed to help you reduce your carbon footprint and navigate your way to carbon net zero. You can download the guide here.

Transitioning to Zero Emission Buses with the ZEBRA scheme

We are working closely with the Department for Transport to support the delivery of their Zero Emission Buses Regional Areas (ZEBRA) scheme, providing funding to Local Authorities and Transport Bodies to kick-start their zero emission bus transition.

We can provide a full end to end solution, encompassing fleet, financing arrangements, charging infrastructure and energy supply to deliver a quicker and easier route to market. Our dedicated team is waiting to work with you to find the best solution for your needs and drive the change towards achieving carbon net zero.

Find out how we can help you by downloading our interactive guide.

Accessing zero emission buses

The UK market for zero emissions buses is developing quickly, with several new suppliers entering the market or expanding their capabilities to encompass the new technologies.  The changing supplier base will be supported through the future CCS agreements, in line with the Government’s Build Back Better strategy. 

By accessing our agreements, you can be assured that suppliers have been appropriately evaluated on their compliance and capability to deliver and that our agreements provide competitive pricing. 

There are options to purchase new EV or hydrogen buses outright, or you can explore the options of converting some of your existing fleet to become EV capable – extending the lifespan of your existing assets.

Financing your investment

Whilst the ZEBRA scheme provides significant funding to support the transition to zero emission buses, there may also be a requirement for your organisation to seek additional funding to invest in buses and other infrastructure developments required to achieve a zero emission transport system.

Our Leasing and Loans Dynamic Purchasing System offers Hire Purchase, both Finance and Operating Leases, Sale and Leaseback as well as Asset Secured Loans to give you access to a full range of funding options to finance your zero emission bus scheme. 

If you are unsure of which financing option is best for your objectives, we also offer Leasing Advisory Services including financing options appraisals that give your organisation an analysis of the funding options available. This also includes the option to run an end-to-end vehicle procurement on your behalf which will ensure expert procurement resources are at your disposal and the most efficient delivery route.

Charging

Getting your zero emission bus is just the first step on the journey, you also need to ensure your city/town has the right charging infrastructure to support its operation. This will need to consider where charging needs to take place, the geographic range of your buses and ensuring there is a suitable connection to the grid to source the power.

Our agreements include a range of charging technologies and funding options that we will be happy to explore with you to determine the best outcome. They also provide a route for feasibility studies to help determine your charging infrastructure strategy.

Renewable Energy Supply

To create a truly sustainable zero emission bus network, it is also important to ensure that the energy supply for your charging network is sourced from renewable power. 

Our agreements have a range of options, starting from Renewable Energy Guarantees of Origin (REGO) backed power supply, access to renewable technologies (e.g. solar carports) or even sourcing Power Purchase Agreements. You may also want to consider whether battery storage technologies will play a role in your strategy.

Get in Touch

We are here to support your transition to a zero emission bus network in your town and city. We will mobilise an internal project team to encompass all the elements involved in setting up your zero emission bus programme and will guide you through the process.

If you would like to work with us, please contact info@crowncommercial.gov.uk quoting ‘zero emission buses’ and we will be in touch to set up a meeting.