Measuring the road to net zero in equipment rental

Ever since the EU set out its plans to become the world’s first climate neutral continent by 2050 ‎in the European Green Deal, the need for business and industry to transition to more green and sustainable ‎activities has been inevitable.‎

The Sustainability Workshop during the ERA Convention in Riga, Latvia, in June. (Photo: ERA.)

For rental companies, this presents a number of challenges and opportunities. However, as an inherently sustainable and circular business model, rental has a great deal to contribute to the green transition.

In June, the Sustainability Workshop, at the ERA Convention in Riga, explored the barriers ‎and solutions to undertaking this green transition to try to get a better understanding of the ‎impact on the rental industry.‎

This discussion brought out the complexity of the green transition for rental companies, ‎encompassing the mindset, skills and attitudes of people, policy frameworks, infrastructure, ‎financial costs, a lack of incentives or support from governments and technological uncertainty.‎

For the transition to be successful for rental companies, it will be essential to change customer ‎habits, moving away from a model of ownership to one of use, as well as to invest in people with ‎the right skillset.

On top of that, the cost of investing in green equipment compared to standard ‎equipment needs to be overcome and incentivised by governments, who will also need to set a ‎clear regulatory framework and invest in the necessary supportive infrastructure for green ‎equipment, such as charging electric machines.‎

If you want to find more information about the Sustainability Committee of ERA, please visit our website: https://erarental.org/. If you are a member of ERA and interested in joining the Sustainability Committee, please email the ERA team at [email protected].