Used car buyers can support the UK's journey to net zero CO2 emissions by 2050 targets thanks to the launch of the iOffset carbon offset scheme.

iOffset’s commercial partnership with the independent car retailers will see the dealerships offer the projected future emissions of every used car sold for the first year of ownership - up to a maximum 10,000 miles.

While the UK government has set a deadline of 2035 for all new cars sold to be free from emissions, Motor Depot and CarSupermarket.com have taken a step forward to ensure consumers can make an impact on climate change by purchasing a used car that guarantees its emissions will be offset.

Steve Butterley, managing director at Motor Depot, said: “For many customers that visit our showrooms and forecourts, the prospect of an electric car is impractical and early-adopter pricing is out of reach.

“Modern eco-conscious car shoppers are desperate to do the right thing, but to date have not had a viable alternative to the traditional used car.

“Used cars are an eco-friendlier option than a new car simply by the nature of being a recycled product and we’ve now brought to market a new type of used car in partnership with iOffset, one with the emissions offset for the first year or 10,000 miles of ownership, in a UK industry first.”

The carbon-streaming service’s offset as a service (OaaS) model enables it to offset any product, service or transaction in full or in part, enabling investment into accredited projects that prevent an amount of CO2 equal to a product’s carbon footprint, through afforestation schemes, renewable energy and emerging technologies in carbon capture in storage.

Researcher, Professor Mike Berners-Lee, and his team Small World Consulting, have helped develop iOffset’s carbon use examples to enable people to make lifestyle choices that reduce their carbon footprint and for businesses to better understand their negative emissions impact.

Mark Hammond, founder of iOffset, encourages other individuals and businesses to examine their practices and how they can reduce and offset their CO2.

He said: “I congratulate Motor Depot for being the first in the auto retail market in the UK to embark on this as part of their service, and hopefully this initiative will be a catalyst for many dealers and other businesses around the world to push forward more environmentally-friendly operations on the journey to net zero.”