The 100% climate-neutral Swedish vehicle inspection company

It sounds like a contradiction in terms. But Opus Bilprovning, Opus Group’s Swedish subsidiary, is the first vehicle inspection company to be 100% climate neutral – thanks to a range of energy efficiency and climate compensation projects.

When we inspect your vehicle, we look at its emissions,’ says Thomas Nilsson, Quality and Environment Manager at Opus Bilprovning. ‘So every time you have it tested, more than 5kg of carbon dioxide gets released. Your journeys to and from the inspection station also contribute CO2 to the atmosphere.’

Swedish drivers can have their vehicles tested in good conscience. The company offsets the CO2 emissions that can’t be reduced through climate compensation and environmental projects in developing countries. ‘There are two projects: one which conserves rainforest on islands in the Pacific, and one in Bolivia where we actively work to replant sustainable forests.’ says Thomas. ‘We are very careful that the climate compensation projects we support really benefit both the climate and the people affected.’
Opus Bilprovning also minimizes the negative impact of its own operations on the environment. ‘Our entire purpose is to make the world a cleaner and safer place,’ says Thomas. ‘So in 2016, we decided to become climate neutral.’

In the past four years, the company has managed to reduce its emissions by 41%. ‘We overhauled our heating, lighting and ventilation systems and switched to renewable energy tariffs,’ says Thomas. ‘We also reviewed our procedures. A huge source of waste was the amount of heat lost every time we opened the doors of the station – something each inspector did at least 40 times a day!’

Sustainability makes good business sense for Opus in Sweden too. With the environment high up the agenda, customers appreciate the investment, and Opus is recognized for the efforts it makes.
The company offers motorists a further unique service: information about their vehicle annual carbon emissions – and the opportunity to offset them by contributing to Opus’ climate compensation projects. ‘We don’t charge a fee for administering that service. We simply believe it’s the right thing to do,’ says Thomas.

He hopes and believes that Opus Bilprovning's commitment to the environment will attract Swedish car owners: ‘We want to make it as easy as possible for our customers to make an environmental effort. And at the same time reduce our own impact on the planet.’