Corporate Sustainability and Environmental Policy - The Car Rental Centre

1. Introduction and Commitment

At The Car Rental Centre, we recognize that the mobility and travel industry has a fundamental role to play in tackling the global climate crisis. As a car rental broker and digital booking platform, our environmental footprint extends beyond our direct office and IT operations to the global network of vehicle rental partners we connect our customers with.

We are committed to driving positive change by embedding sustainable practices into our digital infrastructure, empowering our customers to make eco-conscious travel choices, and collaborating with our suppliers to accelerate the transition to a low-carbon transport network.

2. Our Sustainability Journey: Goals Achieved

We have already taken decisive steps to minimize the environmental impact of our direct operations and improve the sustainability of our booking ecosystem:

• 100% Digital Ticketing: We have eliminated paper-based vouchers and booking confirmations across our platform, saving thousands of printed documents annually.
• Green Hosting and IT: The servers hosting our digital booking platforms, including 1st UK Car Rentals, have been transitioned to run on 100% renewable energy sources.
• "Green Fleet" Integration: We introduced specialized filters on our platform, allowing customers to easily identify, compare, and book Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs) and Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs).
• Remote Work Optimization: By maintaining a flexible, digital-first operational model for our administration and customer support teams, we have drastically reduced employee commuting emissions.

3. Our 10-Year Sustainability Plan (2026–2036)

To align with the evolving landscape of green transit logistics, we have established a comprehensive 10-year roadmap. Because we act as an intermediary rather than a fleet operator, our most significant impact lies in influencing our supply chain (Scope 3 emissions) and shifting consumer behavior toward electric mobility.

Phase 1: Short-Term Targets (2026–2028)

• Supply Chain Transparency: Implement an annual Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) audit for all major rental partners to assess their fleet electrification progress and carbon reduction plans.
• EV Booking Milestones: Increase the visibility and promotion of electric vehicles on our platform, with a target of 20% of all bookings being zero or low-emission vehicles by the end of 2028.
• Carbon Offsetting: Launch an integrated, verified carbon-offset program at checkout, allowing customers to neutralize the emissions of their internal combustion engine (ICE) rentals by funding renewable energy and conservation projects.

Phase 2: Medium-Term Targets (2029–2032)

• Supplier Compliance: Partner exclusively with global and independent car rental suppliers who have published and verified active carbon reduction frameworks.
• Platform Electrification: Achieve a milestone where 50% of all vehicle rentals facilitated through The Car Rental Centre are Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs) or Plug-in Hybrids (PHEVs).
• Direct Operations (Scope 1 & 2): Achieve complete carbon neutrality for our direct business operations, including all physical office energy consumption, corporate travel, and digital infrastructure.

Phase 3: Long-Term Targets (2033–2036)

• Dominance of Zero-Emission Transit: Aim for 80% of all platform bookings to consist of fully electric vehicles, actively supporting the phase-out of traditional petrol and diesel rentals.
• Scope 3 Net Zero Pathway: Work collaboratively with our entire supply chain to ensure that the emissions generated by the vehicles booked through our platform are reduced to absolute minimums and fully offset, aligning with our long-term environmental targets.
• Logistics & Commercial Innovation: Leverage our expertise in electric vehicle operations to develop specialized booking channels for eco-friendly commercial and courier rentals, such as electric delivery vans and urban mobility solutions.

4. Monitoring and Governance

Progress against this 10-year plan will be reviewed annually by the leadership team. We commit to adapting our targets as automotive technology, charging infrastructure, and environmental legislation evolve. We will maintain transparent communication with our stakeholders, customers, and partners regarding our environmental performance.

5. Approval

This Sustainability Policy represents our strategic commitment to environmental responsibility for the next decade.

Signed: Jason Smithers
Name: Jason Smithers
Title: Owner
Date: August 4, 2026