Neville Funerals has invested £300,000 in a new eco-friendly Mercedes fleet in another step towards achieving the company’s carbon-neutral goals. The investment is set to address growing concerns around emissions and marks a positive move toward new sustainability goals.
With COP27 taking place earlier this month, sustainability remains at the forefront of the business agenda. Building from the momentum created last year at COP26, recent statistics show that after the Launch of the Zero Emission Vehicles Declaration (ZEV) in 2021, 2022 is set to have a record high of ZEVs being sold with 13.2 per cent of all new vehicles in the first half of 2022 being these zero-emission vehicles, and the trend isn’t slowing down.
The company, which has nine branches across Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire has added two new cars, one hearse and one limousine to its fleet.
The new hybrid vehicles, which are set to be in use before the end of the year, are more fuel-efficient and provide a greener choice for the firm, as it takes the next step in its sustainability mission.
The Mercedes vehicles have been ordered from Coleman Milne, a specialist manufacturer in the UK that converts cars into funeral vehicles, stretch limousines and other specialist transport. The new Neville Funerals cars will each have a glass roof, two bearer decks, an amber deck and integrated cover boards.
The company has also ordered a refurbished limousine and hearse from Coleman Milne to add to the hybrid models, in a bid to offset the energy and resource-intensive process of new car production.
Charmian Alexander, Director at Neville Funerals, explains: “These additions to our fleet represent a new era at Neville Funerals, and whilst our goal remains the same, to deliver a compassionate and meaningful service to all of our customers, we aim to do so in a way that pursues a greener and more sustainable future.
“We’re very excited to start this transition. Our hybrid and refurbished vehicles will allow us to harness better use of resources in a more efficient way that will bring benefits to the families we care for in the region. Moving forward, we plan to continue to look for ways we can introduce green initiatives as a business in everything that we do.”
This announcement is one of several investments that Neville Funerals has made over the past year addressing sustainability and environmental issues.
Neville Funerals has also taken additional measures in the day-to-day running of the company to help lower its carbon footprint such as putting an emphasis on recycling, and printing only when it’s necessary and when appropriate on scrap paper.