Mitie will have at least 2,021 pure electric vehicles (EVs) in its fleet by the end of 2021, according to its latest sustainability pledge.

The business launched its Plan Zero strategy a year ago, outlining its commitment to reach net zero operational carbon emissions by 2025.

A series of new pledges has been confirmed for 2021, including a promise to convert more than a quarter of its fleet to EVs.

Last year, Mitie set a target of 717 EVs by 2020, which it achieved three months ahead of schedule.

Mitie has also pledged to reduce annual energy use across its office estate by 100,000 kWh in 2021– equivalent to more than 22 tonnes of CO2 or 33 return flights from London to New York.

This will be achieved solely through energy optimisation, such as tweaking heating and cooling settings and introducing a new comfort policy which sets the optimum temperature and lighting levels for both energy efficiency and employee comfort, to reduce the energy used by the business.

New bins, which don’t require plastic bin liners, will be introduced at 15 Mitie sites in 2021. This will save 40,000 bin bags, more than half a tonne of plastic, each year.

Simon King, director of Sustainability and Social Value at Mitie, said: “From creating the UK’s leading electric vehicle fleet and switching our offices to renewable energy, to launching the first zero emission landscaping services and planting 2,000 square metres  of wildflowers, Mitie has made great progress in the first year since we launched our net zero commitment. However, continuing to push ourselves further, faster, has always been the ethos of Plan Zero. By setting these new targets we’re putting our words into action and helping Mitie, and our customers, become sustainable, sooner.”

Mitie is building on its existing Plan Zero pledge to achieve net zero by 2025 for its operational emissions, by committing to net zero Scope 3 emissions (covering its supply chain, employee commuting and working from home) by 2035 – still 15 years ahead of the UK Government’s own target. To drive this initiative, Mitie is committing to set science-based targets with the science-based targets initiative, which defines and promotes best practice in emissions reductions and net-zero targets in line with climate science and the goals of the Paris Agreement.

The business will continue to pilot new systems to improve sustainability across its business. Solutions set for a trial in 2021 include installing tap attachments that are able to reduce water use by up to 98%, as well as ‘hive’ robot vacuums which are up to 62.5% more energy efficient. These, and other, technologies, will be trialled at a small number of sites to assess whether they are suitable to be rolled out across all of Mitie’s offices.  

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