Navigating net zero in the emergency services

There is a lot of progress being made across the UK’s emergency services to reduce carbon emissions, despite the challenges they are faced with

The public sector has its own unique set of challenges when it comes to transitioning to net zero. As an energy and carbon consultancy, TEAM Energy’s role is to support a wide range of public sector organisations, including emergency service organisations, in achieving their net zero targets.

TEAM has spoken with several of their customers in the public sector about the challenges they face and their solutions in working towards their sustainability goals.


What are the challenges emergency services are facing when striving to become net zero?

One of the most significant challenges for emergency services is transitioning their extensive fleet of on-call vehicles to electric. Given the 24/7 operational demands, these vehicles must be ready at all times. Transitioning to electric vehicles is essential for reducing carbon emissions, as these fleets are often high carbon emitters. However, the substantial costs associated with purchasing electric vehicles and installing charging infrastructure make this commitment challenging.

As well as high cost, there are additional challenges when switching to EV, such as the time it can take to charge vehicles that need to be available on demand, the complexity of establishing sufficient charging infrastructure at emergency service stations, and the risk of having a reduced range in more rural areas of the country.

TEAM’s Business Development Manager, Andrea Shoel, works closely to support many of the business’ public sector customers, on this topic Andrea said:

“For the public sector, the biggest challenge is financial constraint. For Emergency Service organisations, they face the additional difficulty of decarbonising their fleet of vehicles, with EVs costing up to 30% more than a petrol car, organisations are faced with some tough decisions on where to prioritise their budget.”


What are emergency services doing to work towards net zero?

Emergency services across the country are trialling electric vehicles within their fleet, such as ambulances, police cars and fire trucks. In 2024 the London Ambulance Service deployed its first ever all electric ambulance, with other ambulance services across the country following suit.

The Metropolitan Police is also leading the way in the adoption of electric vehicles, with over 1600 EVs in their fleet, this includes marked and unmarked cars used for a wide range of activities.

Additionally, hydrogen cars (FCEVs) are an alternative to EVs; using hydrogen to generate electricity, these offer advantages over battery EVs. These can have much faster refuelling time making them more suited to 24/7 operations. These vehicles also offer longer driving ranges when compared to electric vehicles, which can support services that have rural parts of the country to take care of.

Andrea discusses the other successes emergency services organisations have celebrated:

“Organisations in the emergency services sector have also shifted their focus to reducing energy waste in their buildings. They have installed air source heat pumps, LED lighting, and ensured that buildings are not operational when not in use to enhance energy efficiency. Additionally, some organisations have decommissioned older buildings and relocated offices to solar-powered facilities to further decrease their carbon emissions."


What needs to change for the public sector to meet its net zero targets?

The biggest issues are the shifting goals from the UK Government. Public sector organisations need specific targets and adequate funding to implement necessary changes. The high cost of electric vehicles also needs to be addressed to enable more emergency service organisations, especially those in smaller counties with limited budgets, to transition their fleets to EVs. Currently, the high cost of these vehicles is slowing the transition from high-emitting vehicles.



Progress and commitment

There is a lot of progress being made across the UK’s emergency services to reduce carbon emissions, despite the challenges they are faced with. County services like the Gloucestershire Police have successfully integrated EVs into their fleet, with a quarter of their vehicles powered by electricity. Fire services are also committing to this transition, with some having more than 10% of their fleet fully electric.

Trials like this have demonstrated that EVs can effectively serve in various roles including rapid response and patrol duties. This means services can rely on EVs more often, reducing the use of their petrol and diesel vehicles. It also allows for challenges, such as operational downtime for charging, to be addressed and improved upon for the future. Positive results will encourage further adoption of EVs and FCEVs, allowing for expanding fleets and enhanced infrastructure.

Overall, emergency services organisations are working hard to reduce their carbon emissions with reduced budgets and limited guidance from the government. Despite this, the commitment to net zero is clear.


ENDS
Notes to Editors
For further information, please contact:
Charlotte Bland –Marketing Executive
TEAM Energy
Phone: +44 (0) 01908 690018 Ext 212
cbland@teamenergy.com
EDW House, Radian Court, Knowlhill, Milton Keynes, MK5 8PJ
www.teamenergy.com


About TEAM

TEAM is an energy and sustainability consultancy. It helps organisations with large energy estates reduce consumption and carbon emissions to save money and meet commercial and compliance targets on their journey to net zero.
Founded in 1985, it has a long history of helping customers navigate changing definitions and certification standards. TEAM Energy is an Employee Ownership Trust (EOT), with employees having a direct stake in its customers’ success.