The public sector is at the forefront of low emission vehicle take-up amongst UK fleets, new research has found.

As more cities follow London’s lead to introduce Ultra Low Emission Zones and the rise of ‘Go Ultra Low Cities’, fleets operating within these areas will be early adopters of ULEVs, says LeasePlan

The report from LeasePlan UK and iGov Survey, carried out to reveal the key priorities, trends and challenges for public sector fleets in 2016, found 38% of respondents stated that to meet with upcoming Low Emission Zones and environmental legislation, they will need to introduce Ultra Low Emission Vehicles (under 75g/km CO2) in their fleet.

The research also found that over half (58%) of respondents admitted that they believed government policies to reduce vehicle emissions had changed the way they employ mobility and vehicle fleet strategies.

However, according to the analysis, two-fifths of organisations don’t have specific environmental targets relating to the reduction of vehicle emissions.

Oliver Boots, brand director of Automotive Leasing, the branch of LeasePlan that provides fleet and mobility solutions for the public and not for profit sector, said: “We can see that the public sector is really leading the charge when it comes to driving the rise of electric vehicles, with 38% stating the need to introduce these vehicles into their fleet in order to meet upcoming environmental legislation. The impact that the changing political landscape will have on the public sector, in more than one way, is very apparent.”