Hertz Relaunches Green Collection in Europe, Plans Fuel Economy Goals

Published June 09, 2009

Car rental company Hertz is relaunching its Green Collection throughout Europe, offering a range of fuel-efficient vehicles at 70 airport and downtown locations.

All of the vehicles, which can be reserved by make and model, have a carbon dioxide (CO2) output of less than or equal to 140g/km, the voluntary output target set by output set by the European Union for the European Automobile Manufacturers Association. More than half of the models have a CO2 output of 120g/km or less.

Vehicles included in the collection include the Ford Focus Diesel 1.6, VW Passat, Fiat Punto natural gas model (available in Italy), the Opel Zafira compressed natural gas (CNG) and the Opel Combo CNG (available in the Netherlands), and a fleet of electric scooters (available in Amsterdam and Spain). Other countries covered by the Green Collection include Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Slovakia, Switzerland and the United Kingdom, and the collection will expand to the Czech Republic and Sweden starting in June.

Hertz has also committed to develop and agree to fuel economy goals and reducing its rental fleet's emissions, a project being developed by the World Economic Forum.

Due to Hertz's commitment, shareholders groups have lauded the company while pressuring another rental car company, Avis Budget Group, to do the same.

The California State Teachers' Retirement System and the Florida State Board of Administration, who together manage $230 billion in assets, have filed a shareholder resolution calling on Avis to develop a greenhouse gas reduction plan for its rental car operations. The resolution faces a vote at the company's June 12 annual meeting, and has the support of PROXY Governance and other members of the Investor Network on Climate Risk.

Calvert Investments has filed a similar resolution with Hertz, but withdrew it after Hertz's announcement to develop and follow emissions reduction goals and more fully report on the fuel economy metrics and goals of its vehicles.

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Hertz Relaunches Green Collection in Europe, Plans Fuel Economy Goals

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Hertz Relaunches Green Collection in Europe, Plans Fuel Economy Goals

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