Yorkshire Post Climate Change Summit: 'Moving nation to zero emission vehicles is like running world's toughest marathon - but we can rise to challenge'

Alan Bastey, who is decarbonisation and sustainability consultant for vehicle leasing giant Zenith, compared the change that was required to his own experience of starting lunchtime runs in Leeds before building up to participate in the infamous Marathon Des Sables – where competitors run six marathons in a week across the Sahara Desert.

“I took on the challenge of the heat, the sand dunes, the lack of food and I certainly will never forget the blisters,” he said.

“I think our transition to zero emissions vehicles is a little bit like that. We’ve made some great progress and we are sort of in the mid-phase of the race.

“The energy and enthusiasm of the start has disappeared but the end is a very long way away.

“This is the time when people start to have their doubts, their concerns and their worries about how we are going to rise to this challenge.

“It is getting pretty tough, particularly when you think about commercial vehicles.

“The end is a long way off but I know we can rise to the challenge.”

Mr Bastey, who was speaking at a session on technology and collaboration chaired by Yorkshire Post deputy business editor Greg Wright, said much has been achieved in recent years already.

“Back in 2013, Nissan took delivery of its first electric vehicle; a Nissan Leaf with a range of 109 miles. By the end of this year, we will have 30,000 fully electric vehicles in our fleet.”

Mr Bastey said the improved availability of data is demonstrating to commercial vehicle managers that electric vehicles can play more of a role in their businesses than they had previously assumed.

“You are able to build a digital picture of everything your fleet does. So many times, we hear people say electric vehicles won’t work for me and won’t work for my business. But they haven’t actually looked at the data.

“Once you put the data into those models, you can say, ‘Actually half those vehicles can be electric’.”

Caroline Linford, responsible business director for net zero consultancy Flotilla, also said data collection is vital.

“Technology can make data gathering as efficient as possible. You don’t have to wait for perfect data.

“It usually takes an SME three years to collect good quality data but even from year one, data you have in your current systems will tell you something about what your business can do.”

Beverley Gower-Jones OBE, founder and managing partner of Clean Growth Investment Management, told the session that highlighting the economic benefits of clean energy projects is key.

She said that since 2019, the net zero economy has created almost one million jobs and £82 billion worth of value.

“It is a massive opportunity for every place in the UK to benefit from the net zero piece on the economic side,not to mention the pollution and quality of living improvements it also brings.”

Lauren Kemp, heat network zoning lead for the North East and Yorkshire Net Zero Hub, said collaboration between different organisations is vital for delivering emissions reductions at scale.

She cited partnership work in Bristol on heat networks as a positive example of what can be achieved.

“I’ve spoken to so many organisations who are so hellbent on doing things by themselves. We need to realise that no one organisation can do absolutely everything by themselves. There’s a lot to be learnt from one another.

“The Bristol heat network has come on leaps and bounds through partnership. Understanding you can’t do it all by yourself is really important.”