Chrome Carbon: Classics and the Environment

As new cars are increasingly moving away from ICE power, the pressure facing the classic vehicle sector looks likely to increase in the coming years. We sat down with Julien Lescure, founder of www.chromecarbon.cc, to talk about classic vehicles and the environment.

While we couldn’t agree more, explain why being a classic vehicle enthusiast means being mindful of the environment?

Our community is passionate about repairing and restoring. It’s in our DNA to preserve our heritage for future generations. Which includes our machines, but also our environment. I think that all enthusiasts have it in themselves, Chrome Carbon gives them a way to act on their emissions and close the loop.

What is Chrome Carbon?

Chrome Carbon is an online service where you can easily calculate the carbon footprint of your vehicles and decide to remove more CO2 from the atmosphere than you emit. As conscious as we are, CO2 is still a by-product of our passion. 

How does it work?

For the price of one pint of beer a month, you help reforest the UK and fund carbon reduction projects where they are needed. We partner with the Woodland Trust and only fund projects which have been audited and certified, so not trusting our impact is not an option.

What drove you to create Chrome Carbon?

Chrome Carbon was born from my desire to reduce the carbon footprint of my own cars and motorbikes. But also to give our community a way to prove to the world that being a true vehicle enthusiast means caring about the environment. And expressing our genuine passion means acting upon it.

How has the project been welcomed so far?

The support has been heartwarming. We launched the project four months ago and now our members have already committed to remove more than 500 tonnes of CO2 from the atmosphere and plant more than 6,000 trees in 2021 alone. This is huge, and there is more to come. Stay tuned!

How do you see the future of classic vehicles in a world increasingly conscious of its emissions?

With self driving EVs already here, I see the classic vehicle movement growing and maturing into the golden age of driving. And I don’t want my grandchildren to look back at these vehicles and see a symbol of climate change. This is another reason I have created Chrome Carbon; so I can tell them I have done my part to preserve both our machines and our environment, all for them.

You can find out more about Chrome Carbon on their website: www.chromecarbon.cc