UK supply chain businesses risk losing lucrative contracts with listed corporations if they fail to green their vehicle fleets ahead of the January 2027 UK Sustainability Reporting Standards (UK SRS) mandate.

With fewer than six months until the deadline, corporate procurement teams are already vetting suppliers’ emissions profiles. However, challenging economic conditions are leaving many logistics and delivery firms financially unable to commit to long-term electric vehicle leases.

The UK Sustainability Reporting Standards (UK SRS) are the UK’s standardised framework for corporate reporting on sustainability and climate-related risks. The FCA has completed a consultation on the standards with a policy statement expected this autumn. Listed corporations must report comprehensively on climate-related risks from 1 January 2027.

The risks covered by the UK SRS will cover all areas of business operations. However, because fleet mobility is a massive contributor to Scope 3 emissions,  mobility will come under particular focus as a key generator of emissions. As such, without low- and zero-emission vehicles, businesses that work with listed corporates risk losing contracts.

Tom Middleditch, head of B2B marketing at Europcar Mobility Group UK, warned: “Many corporates are already reporting their sustainability-related information voluntarily, acting early to reduce emissions, while others are planning for January.

“These listed businesses will already be reviewing and switching partners based on their sustainability credentials, so suppliers must act quickly to ensure they do not lose existing contracts or miss out on new opportunities.”

Transitioning a commercial fleet to zero-emission vehicles overnight is a massive capital burden, and Middleditch cautioned that such a move is impractical for most businesses operating in the supply chain ecosystem.

He added: “Current economic conditions make significant multi-year financial commitments challenging, meaning long-term leasing of electric cars and vans isn’t practical or possible for many organisations. However, rental can provide a viable alternative – and help ensure that contracts are not at risk as the UK SRS comes into force.”

Flexible vehicle rental provides an agile, low-risk route into EV adoption to help organisations balance cost pressures and sustainability requirements of customers. It is also an immediate and scalable way for businesses to experience the benefits of electric mobility, helping them make informed decisions in the longer-term.

The Europcar fleet provides businesses with access to vehicles to suit most use-cases. It also features a wide range and significant volume of plug-in hybrid (PHEV) and battery electric vehicle (BEV) cars, as well as a wide choice of electric vans. Notably, all BEVs are offered with price parity to petrol and diesel models.

The Europcar electric van fleet now includes the car-derived Renault Kangoo alongside the short-wheelbase Volkswagen e-Transporter, Vauxhall Vivaro, Mercedes-Benz e-Vito, Peugeot E-Expert and Ford E-Transit Custom.

To help ease the transition to electric, Europcar provides customers renting an electric van with a detailed handover by an EV expert, enabling drivers to take to the road with confidence. Drivers also gain access to the full suite of Octopus Electroverse features, including a real-time charger map with availability, speed and cost details as well as route planning functionality based on range and chargers along the route. And to further support drivers gain a better understanding of EV life, Europcar regularly updates its free digital EV Guide and Knowledge Hub.