AutoProtect Group’s Shine business has become a certified carbon neutral mobile repair network.

The network has gained PAS 2060 status, which is the only internationally recognised certification for organisational carbon neutrality, published by BSI.

To achieve PAS 2060, the measured amount of residual carbon emissions created by Shine are being offset by high-quality certified carbon credits that meet strictly defined criteria:

• They are within one of the schemes approved by PAS 2060
• They have additionality (i.e., carbon reductions that would not have occurred were it not for the project)
• They are verified by an independent third party to ensure that emissions reductions are permanent, avoid double counting and prevent leakage
• Credits are retired from a public record within 12 months

Richard King, operations manager at AutoProtect Group, said: “With a fleet of 80 vehicles that last year covered over 1.58 million miles providing mobile car body repairs across the UK, we were very mindful of our carbon footprint.

“We have an ambitious commitment to play our part in tackling climate change. Our stepped plan to identify and reduce our carbon footprint is business wide. We have assessed the net tonnage of everything we do, our energy, and our supply chain.”

The group said the fleet will start to move to electric vehicles (EVs) by the end of the year.

King added: “PAS 20260 certification is indisputable evidence that our carbon neutrality claims are credible and verified.

“It is something we see as the right thing to do and a way of boosting the confidence of our customers.

“Right now, offsetting using certified credits adds social and environmental value to our business model, but we will continue to challenge ourselves to reduce our direct and indirect emissions in everything we do.”

Thatcham Research has been awarded funding to lead a project focused on Electric Vehicle (EV) collision repair and salvage processes and their impact on insurance claims and associated costs.

Data from claims management firm Activate Group shows that EVs and hybrids took 1.5 days longer, on average, to repair in bodyshops that petrol and diesel equivalents.