Saint-Gobain targets fleet electrification by 2023

Saint-Gobain UK & Ireland is aiming to switch its entire company car fleet, of more than 3,000 vehicles, to fully electric and hybrid vehicles by the end of 2023.

In making this transition, the business recently took delivery of 100 new Volkswagen 1D.3 all-electric cars.

Ian Berrill, transport and supply chain solutions director for Saint-Gobain UK & Ireland, said: “This agreement with VW is just one step we will be taking on our journey to reduce the carbon from our transport activities.

“With a car fleet of more than 3,000 vehicles we intend to act as quickly as we can in switching our fleet to fully electric and hybrid and helping our colleagues with this change for example by installing charging points at colleague’s homes.

“The reception from colleagues has been great – there is a real appetite to make the change and reduce their personal carbon footprint.”

The business has made a global commitment to be net zero carbon by 2050.

Mike Chaldecott, CEO of Saint-Gobain UK & Ireland, said: “For every business the change required is immense, but we are absolutely committed to being successful in making our own operations net zero, and supporting customers in many different ways with their own sustainability journeys.”

Saint-Gobain designs, manufactures and distributes materials and solutions for the construction, mobility, healthcare and other industrial application markets. It operates in 70 countries and has more than 167,000 employees.