Building a Sustainable Automotive Industry

Welcome to the Auto Trader Sustainability Hub

At Auto Trader, our purpose is to ‘Drive Change Together. Responsibly’, and it’s this purpose that’s informed our environmental strategy which is focused on ‘Putting the Brakes on Carbon’ both within our own business (by 2040) but also more broadly. We want to help build a sustainable automotive industry and this hub is for anyone who is involved in, or curious about, sustainability within the automotive industry.

Here you’ll find key information, ideas and resources about how to be more sustainable. We’ll post regular content from both our latest research and insights as well as from trusted partners from across the industry (and beyond). We’ll also share details about how you can access free carbon literacy training with the Carbon Literacy Project.

We’re aware that we don’t have all the answers, and we’re not the experts on this topic but we acknowledge that our position in the automotive industry affords us an opportunity, powered by our purpose, to bring people and ideas together for the benefit of everyone. 

Looking to be part of the conversation on sustainability in the automotive industry? Then join the Building a Sustainable Automotive Industry LinkedIn group. This group is designed to be the hub for the automotive industry to discuss and share ideas on how to drive our industry into a sustainable future. Join now to be part of the conversation.

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Answering your sustainability questions

  • We have adopted the UN's definition of sustainability: “meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”

  • Becoming a more sustainable business doesn’t mean you’ll become a less profitable one.

    Yes, some changes may require some investment. But you can make many changes without impacting your bottom line and many changes, such as investing in solar panels, can increase profitability.

    Furthermore, a recent study by McKinsey that those businesses focused on sustainability alongside profitability outperform their competitors, so it really does pay to become more sustainable.

  • One of the biggest challenges the world faces right now is the climate crisis, with 2023 being the hottest year on record, with temperatures up 1.45C above the pre-industrial era according to the World Meteorological Organisation.

    The automotive industry is a significant contributor to climate change, being responsible for 10% of the world's carbon dioxide emissions as highlighted by the World Economic Forum.

    We as an industry therefore need to act to mitigate our impact on the climate and help tackle climate change. It’s a simple matter of doing the right thing.

    But climate change action is something that consumers now demand from businesses with a study from Deloitte finding that sustainability practises are one of the biggest considerations for consumers when choosing what and from who to buy. Action on climate change therefore not only benefits the planet, but also your business.

  • Becoming a sustainable business in the automotive industry isn't just about engaging with EVs, although they do play an important role in driving towards a sustainable future.

    If you're looking to find out more about the EVs including our latest market insights, then check out our EV Hub.

  • Join our LinkedIn community or contact press@autotrader.co.uk if you have a story or case study you’d like to add to the sustainability hub. 

    If you’re a supplier and you’d like to feature, we suggest you work with one of your automotive industry suppliers to create a case study of the work you’ve done with them to share on the hub.  

What does sustainability mean for automotive?

These days, you only need to turn on the news, pick up a newspaper or listen to a podcast to be presented with messages about the importance of sustainability as well as marketing from businesses sharing their “green” ambitions.  

The automotive sector is no exception to this – and we don’t just mean electric vehicles. Car manufacturers and retail groups are sharing their 2030 and 2050 aspirations alongside publicly launching sustainability initiatives.  

Future-proofing your business 

We wanted to know more about what car buyers and retailers thought about this so we asked 3,500 consumers and 2,200 retailers their opinions.  

What did consumers tell us?  

Consumers are becoming more environmentally conscious and sustainability is increasingly a consideration when looking at what, and crucially from whom, they buy.

 

Perhaps, unsurprisingly, sustainability becomes a far more important consideration for those buying a hybrid or electric car. As we see more people looking to make the switch from petrol and diesel, it will be the companies putting sustainability at the heart of their business that will see greater consumer engagement.

 

The retailer view

Retailers are already considering the environmental impact of their business, but act many still need to implement sustainability initiatives in their companies.

 

Retailers also told us future proofing, cost savings and improved brand reputation are the three main co-benefits from having an increased awareness of business impact on the environment. But 25% of retailers don’t’ feel they have enough information to make business decisions on this topic. 

Whatever your motivation – be that people, planet or profit - thinking about your impact on the environment now is the smart move. Because your customers and competitors are already on it.  

And getting started is easier than you think. 

Empowering your people to transform how your business operates is key. By empowering your people you can transform your business’s relationship with the natural world and the local environment you inhabit.  

But how do you do this? Read on to discover more.

The Carbon Literacy Project

As education is one of the most powerful tools in combatting climate change, we’ve developed an Automotive Toolkit alongside the Carbon Literacy Project. This toolkit is specifically designed for the industry to support your business on its sustainability journey by empowering your people to drive change. It focusses on peer-to-peer learning and equipping the people in your business with the tools and skills they need to reduce your business’s carbon footprint actively.

With monthly online and in-person training available, you can join the more than 3,000 automotive professionals already engaged and certified in Carbon Literacy.

🌳 Book a Carbon Literacy Training Day now 🌳

These courses will use the Automotive Toolkit, a Carbon Literacy course designed specifically for the automotive sector. Focusing specifically on the solutions which can be put in place to help the low-carbon transformation of transport.

The sessions run once a month and we offer a mix of in-person and online courses to suit a variety of needs.

Choose your date and click below to find out more and book your place on a free course.

Find out more about Carbon Literacy and the automotive industry from its Managing Director and Founder David Coleman in the video below.

Sustainability case studies

Bentley showcases how the Bentley Environmental Foundation is helping to tackle the climate crisis. Explore how collaboration with local charities and Non-Governmental Organisations extends the reach and impact of the luxury British marque’s sustainability efforts.

Drive Green, winner of the Sustainability Initiative of the Year Award at the Auto Trader Retailer Awards 2023, shares how they are putting sustainability at the heart of their business.

Lessons from beyond automotive

Understanding your carbon footprint

Learn how you can better measure and understand your impact on the environment.

Doing sustainability differently.

Hear from Patagonia as they guide you through their unique approach to sustainability