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 supports a wide range of public sector organisations, including the emergency services, to achieve their net zero targets.
To share their learnings, TEAM has spoken to several of their customers in the public sector about the challenges of working towards their sustainability goals and how the move to Electric Vehicles is accelerating that journey.
What challenges are emergency services 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 (EV) 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, who works closely with their public sector customers, commented:
“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 organisations 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 soon following suit.
The Metropolitan Police is also leading the way in the adoption of electric vehicles, with over 1600 EVs in their fleet, including marked and unmarked cars used for a wide range of activities.
Additionally, hydrogen cars (FCEVs), that use hydrogen to generate electricity and are an alternative to standard EVs, offer many advantages. These vehicles offer longer driving ranges when compared to electric vehicles, which can support services that reach rural areas, as well as have much faster refuelling time, making them more suited to 24/7 operations.
Andrea discusses the other successes TEAMs emergency services customers 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 of 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 such as 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.
Interested in how moving to EVs could help your organisation transition to net zero? Try out TEAM’s Electric Car Savings Calculator today.
