Porsche U.S. Fleets Go Carbon-Neutral With CO2 Offset Program
Staff Report From Metro Atlanta CEO
Wednesday, April 24th, 2019
Carbon offsetting is a growing trend, and now drivers can enjoy the thrill of U.S. Porsche Experience Centers with a neutral carbon footprint. In time for Earth Day, Porsche Cars North America, Inc. (PCNA) has enrolled all cars at its two Experience Centers – and its fleet in the monthly subscription pilot, Porsche Passport – in Porsche Impact.
Impact is a new program from Porsche Digital that enables owners to calculate emissions individually per car and then offset them by supporting environmentally friendly projects in the U.S. and worldwide. Following its corporate fleets, PCNA will soon offer Porsche Impact to U.S. customers who want to reduce the CO2 footprint of their internal-combustion engines.
PCNA estimates it will offset more than 3.5 million miles of driving this year by 425 vehicles in its fleets at the Porsche Experience Centers in Atlanta and Los Angeles, as well as cars in the Porsche Passport subscription service and Porsche Drive short-term rental programs. The two Experience Centers are popular destinations, with more than 335,000 visitors combined since opening in 2015 in Atlanta and 2016 in LA. Passport and Drive are set for expansion to four new markets in North America after a successful pilot in Atlanta.
"At Porsche, we are continually focused on innovative and sustainable business practices," said Klaus Zellmer, President and CEO of PCNA. "Porsche Impact is another way for us and our customers to help offset carbon emissions as part of our goal to become the most sustainable premium sports car manufacturer in the world."
Later this year, U.S. customers will be able to enroll in Porsche Impact and use their vehicle's annual mileage to determine the CO2 generated and the corresponding level of financial contribution to neutralize emissions. Porsche customers can choose from four different internationally certified projects to support. The available programs are focused on forest protection in the U.S., hydropower in Vietnam, solar energy in Mexico, and species diversity in Zimbabwe.
How much does it cost? For example, driving a 2019 Cayenne S for 10,000 miles a year would generate an offsetting contribution between approximately $67 and $152 annually, depending on which project the customer chooses to support.
The Porsche Impact program, managed by South Pole, a Swiss-based provider of carbon offsetting and sustainability financing that has been active internationally for more than a decade, establishes PCNA as a carbon offsetting leader among U.S. auto importers and helps build a bridge between today and a carbon neutral future. Porsche Impact has been available as a pilot program to customers in Germany, the UK, and Poland since late 2018.
