To promote rental is to promote sustainability
02 October 2019
The ERA Sustainability Committee met on 12 September in Brussels, in the ERA offices.
Among the different topics on the agenda, priority was given to the conclusions of the study on the Carbon Footprint of Construction Equipment.
Three specialised, independent research companies – Climate Neutral Group, CE Delft and SGS Search – have researched and calculated the CO2 emitted during the full life cycle of ten pieces of equipment representative of the portfolio of the ERA members.
The research concludes that efficient use lowers the total carbon footprint of the pieces of equipment and that the rental business model stimulates efficient use: by sharing equipment and performing in asset management, the rental industry contributes to avoiding carbon emissions.
In order to promote the equipment rental business, the conclusions of this study will be communicated to the stakeholders of the industry but also to the general public, as well as European and national institutions.
To carry out this study, the research consultants have built a calculator to determine the carbon footprint of the use of construction equipment.
The ERA is considering the feasibility of a new project to complete and enhance this CO2 Calculator. Combined with the ERA Equipment Total Cost of Ownership Calculator, https://equipmentcalculator.org/en, it could become a useful tool to support people in choosing the most efficient and environmentally friendly way to use equipment, which is often the rental model.
The Sustainability Committee has grown very much in the last years but is still looking for more volunteers from rental companies. It is open to every member of the ERA. If you are interested in joining, or if you wish to receive more information on the works of the Committee, please do not hesitate to contact the ERA team, at era@erarental.org.
