Land Rover Our Planet

The Our Planet programme was announced in 2006 when Land Rover allowed customers to have their emissions offset. The company is trying to get rid of its gas-guzzling image by investing in green technologies and limiting the impact of their vehicles on the earth. The Our Planet programmes are diverse: the latest programme transforms the domestic lighting market in Mauritius. It ensures that more than 330,000 Mauritian homes use energy efficient compact fluorescent lights.

Sustainable manufacturing

Sustainable manufacturing develops technologies to transform materials with no emission of greenhouse gases, use of non-renewable or toxic materials or generation of waste.

Land Rover is ISO14001 certified since 1998 and has cut emissions in its range of models. The company has been developing technologies to make further improvements. The CO₂ emissions from the main manufacturing plant at Solihull, UK have been cut by 30% over the past 10 years. Land Rover is investing £700m on technology that reduces carbon dioxide emissions. Since September 2006, carbon dioxide generated by Land Rover manufacturing activities and UK customer vehicle use have been balanced through an offset programme run by Climate Care

Fragile Earth

The Fragile Earth programme of Land Rover ensures that vehicles have a smaller impact on the environment. The Our Planet Land programme of Land Rover supports conservation, and environmental and humanitarian projects. There are five international conservation organisations that Land Rover supports: The Born Free Foundation, Earthwatch, The Royal Geographical Society, Biosphere Expeditions, and China Exploration & Research Society. The Venetia Limpopo Wild Dog Project is one of the other organisations that Land Rover supports.

Conservation and humanitarian projects

Land Rover has donated 60 vehicles to the British Red Cross Society to celebrate its 60th anniversary. Thirty of these vehicles will be used in the UK and the other 30 will assist in humanitarian programmes throughout the world.

The Land Rover vehicles will be used by Red Cross personnel and volunteers around the world. The donation is in addition to the Land Rover G4 Challenge Partnership with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, which aims to raise over £1m over the course of the next two challenge cycles.

CO₂ Offsetting

In 2006 Land Rover launched a CO2 offset programme in the UK that included investment in sustainable technologies. Land Rover worked with global conservation and humanitarian organisations and is the only 4WD manufacturer to offer this scheme.

All new UK-sold Land Rover vehicles have their CO₂ emissions offset for the first 45,000 miles of use. ClimateCare manages the New Vehicle Offset Programme. This programme invests in a specific range of Land Rover-funded alternative energy projects around the world: Hydropower Tajikistan and Wind energy in China. Norway, Sweden,Belgium and the Gulf will be among the first new countries to be introduced to this programme.

The two production facilities, Solihull in the West Midlands and Halewood in the north west of England also offset their emissions. ClimateCare offsets the emissions of The Land Rover G4 Challenge, Land Rover sales and service facilities, and the Experience Centres in the UK.

Renewable energy: Replacing non renewable fossil fuels with renewable energy sources such as solar and wind.

Technology change: Promoting the use of new technologies that avoid or reduce CO₂ emissions.

Energy efficiency: Improving efficiency in energy consumption for communities and industry alike.

These projects help conserve wildlife habitats and species, and provides the local communities with employment. The projects undergo a verification and validation process to ensure and demonstrate the CO₂ emissions offsets achieved.

Environmental technologies

Land Rover is working on a variety of initiatives called e_TERRAIN TECHNOLOGIES to increase the efficiency of their vehicles. The company is also involved in a number of other global projects to support their plans: Range Extended Electric Vehicle; use of recycled aluminium; and a flywheel-based hybrid drive.

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