This past September, execs from Enterprise Rent-A-Car met with representatives of TerraPass, a 14-employee San Francisco-based upstart that specializes in carbon offsets. Enterprise, the operator of the largest fleet of rental cars in the world (1.1 million vehicles), has reportedly been interested in the carbon offsetting game for quite some time. With this meeting, Enterprise [...]

This past September, execs from Enterprise Rent-A-Car met with representatives of TerraPass, a 14-employee San Francisco-based upstart that specializes in carbon offsets. Enterprise, the operator of the largest fleet of rental cars in the world (1.1 million vehicles), has reportedly been interested in the carbon offsetting game for quite some time. With this meeting, Enterprise approves a program that will enable its customers to offset the pollution created by their rentals, creating “carbon neutral” rentals.

Enterprise plans to then its customers’ offset purchases dollar for dollar (up to $1 million), making Enterprise the first major rental car company to offer a carbon offset option in the United Statesm while TerraPass lands its largest client to date.

Enterprise is spearheading a mission to re-brand itself as the precedence for socially and environmentally responsible car rentals, with a large consumer base increasingly concerned about global warming, emissions and environmental impact of their daily routines, personal or business. According to reports by the Pew Reseach Center, 47% of people blame human activities for global warming. With this new offset program, nearly 20 million customers will now have the option to purchase an offset when they make their car reservations.

Enterprise also has pledged to plant a million trees a year, purchase more cars that run on ethanol and other alternative fuels, and print its corporate magazine on recycled paper.

Read the full article