On Thursday 12 June, GTI will take a giant step towards combining mobility and sustainability. In a single day, the expert in energy efficiency will replace no fewer than 52 lease cars with the same number of Honda Civic Hybrids. GTI is working with Athlon Car Lease and Honda Nederland (in collaboration with Honda dealer Auto Arnhem) to make this exchange possible. By making its fleet more sustainable, GTI is acknowledging its social responsibility. The Traffic and Transport sector comes second only to the Energy sector in its contribution to total CO2 emissions. Hybrid vehicles are able to play a considerable role in reducing these emissions.

GTI, Athlon Car Lease and Honda all have high aspirations where sustainability is concerned. In recent years, GTI has succeeded in achieving substantial CO2 reductions in the energy supply for new business parks and residential neighbourhoods, including Mahler 4, Overhoeks and Oosterdokseiland. Athlon Car Lease, too, has sustainable mobility as its mission. And this summer, Honda will be introducing a CO2-free car fuelled by hydrogen in the United States: the Honda FCX Clarity.

Pioneering role
GTI believes that it should play a pioneering role in the development of social involvement. Subsidiary of SUEZ Energy Services in the Netherlands, GTI has sustainable development as one of the key focal areas in its strategy. "SUEZ is an inspiring example for us in making our ambitions for sustainability part of our daily work and our culture. This car replacement is one of the ways we can stimulate our personnel to 'green' behaviour." Marketing and Communication Director Frans van den Boorn explained. "We are also encouraging our personnel to drive more economically, and to drive fewer kilometres."

Brand-wide environmental strategy
GTI's choice for Honda goes without saying. "The Honda Civic Hybrid fits in with a brand-wide environmental strategy," Honda Nederland General Manager Rinus Dalebout observed. "We are naturally pleased to report that our Honda Hybrid is one of the least-polluting cars in its class. But however relatively 'clean' these cars may be, nobody will hear us claim that they are the solution to the growing CO2 problem. We do not yet consider our Hybrid clean enough for this. In our view, truly clean means a 'zero' emission of harmful gases. And Honda would not be Honda if we did not have a suitable answer to this: the Honda FCX Clarity. The first hydrogen-driven car emits no greenhouse gases, but only water. In 2008, the first 500 vehicles will take to the road in America and Asia."

Sustainable mobility solutions
Richard Sikkel, managing director of Athlon Car Lease, adds to this: "In accordance with our mission, we too are always looking for genuinely clean and sustainable mobility solutions. We view our market from a broader perspective and organise our processes, products and services in a forward-looking manner. In doing this, we also hope to inspire others to choose sustainable solutions. We are therefore very pleased to cooperate with the exchange of lease cars for GTI, so that they can make their fleet more environmentally friendly."

GTI
Together with Axima, Elyo, Endel, Ineo, Tractebel Engineering and Fabricom GTI, GTI is part of SUEZ Energy Services.

As the European leader in multitechnical services, SUEZ Energy Services offers global solutions to its customers in the industry, the infrastructure and the tertiary sectors, from the design, realisation and maintenance of installations to energy and utilities management and long-term multitechnical management.

SUEZ Energy Services employs 67,000 people and achieved revenues of ? 11.3 billion in 2007. SUEZ Energy Services is one of the four business lines of the quoted international industrial and services Group SUEZ.

PRESS CONTACT
GTI NV 
Ingrid Clauwaert, Manager Public Relations
Kosterijland 50, 3981 AJ Bunnik; postbus 210, 3980 CE Bunnik
Telephone: 030 656 94 59; fax: 030 656 94 15
e-mail: ingrid.clauwaert@gti-group.com; internet: www.gti-group.com