Over 3,000 diesel vehicles used in Environment Agency’s fleet

Over 3,000 diesel vehicles are used in the Environment Agency’s fleet, it has been revealed.

A Freedom of Information request by The Mail has revealed the public body responsible for protecting the environment used 3,356 diesel vehicles in its fleet of 5,330 cars, vans and HGVs. Of those, just 27 are electric models.

Plug-in hybrid vehicles account for 1,197 of those, with the remaining 750 petrol-powered. According to The Mail, the body has committed to replacing all diesel vehicles on its fleet with ultra-low emissions alternatives by 2025.

An Environment Agency spokesperson said: “We work all over the country to prevent or respond to drought, flooding and environmental incidents. We need a vehicle fleet that is fit for purpose.

“Our vehicles are selected on the basis of CO2 and NOx emissions, as well as operational effectiveness and value for money for the taxpayer. But it’s our ambition for all our cars to be ultra-low emission no later than 2025.”

Speaking to The Mail, Jenny Bates, of Friends of the Earth, an environmental campaign group, said: “You’d expect the Environment Agency to lead by example and, now that it’s set its own net-zero emissions target, we hope it will follow up with proper policy to clean up its vehicle fleet.”