ESG fleet reporting under new EU rules in 2026

ESG reporting is changing from a "voluntary report" for corporations to an obligation with auditable data. And fleet is one area where the numbers can quickly "break down" - especially with a mix of owned cars, operating leases, rentals, vans, PHEV/EVs and subcontracted transport.

This article will give you a practical framework of what's new in the EU in 2026, which fleet emissions fall into Scope 1/2/3, what data you need, how to calculate CO2 (even without a big system) and how to set up processes to be ready for internal and external audits.

What's changing in the EU "in 2026" and why does it apply to fleet

1) CSRD and ESRS - ESG reporting as a legal obligation

In the EU, ESG reporting is governed by the CSRD (Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive) and ESRS (European Sustainability Reporting Standards). For many large companies, 2026 is the moment when they will prepare or publish their first outputs under the new rules (depending on which "wave" they fall into).

What's important for the fleet: the ESRS (in particular ESRS E1 - Climate change) builds on the idea that a company should know:

Identify significant impacts, risks and opportunities (double materiality),
report Scope 1, Scope 2 and Scope 3 emissions (including methodology and data quality),
explain the emission reduction targets and plan and how they will be measured.

2) Sector-specific ESRS - deferral, but obligations remain

Sector-specific ESRs (sector-specific) have been postponed in the EU - companies are to focus on "cross-sector" ESRs first. For fleet, this means:

ESRS E1 and general requirements will dominate in 2026,
even without sector-specific standards, large companies are expected to have measurable CO2 data and a clear methodology.

3) Watch out for changes/simplifications - keep an eye on legislation, but prepare data now

Discussions are ongoing in the EU on simplifying reporting obligations (e.g. thresholds, scope of data points) in late 2025. Until the changes are formally approved, the recommendation for corporates is practical:

Set the minimum viability (data + processes) for the fleet now,
prepare for the fact that even if the company is not obliged to report, customers and mothers will request fleet CO2 data in tenders and supplier questionnaires.

Why fleet is a "heavy" ESG topic: concrete numbers from the EU

1) Transport is a big chunk of emissions

In the EU, transport accounts for around 29% of total GHG emissions (latest data for 2022). And of the transport emissions, road transport is the biggest contributor.

2) Road transport dominates transport emissions

According to European indicators, road transport accounted for around 73% of transport emissions in the EU in 2023.

3) Vans (LCVs) and fleet age

Vans/LCVs in the EU are among the busiest segments. More than 30 million vans are driven in the EU and the average age of vans is around 12.5 years. Older vehicles generally mean a higher risk of breakdowns, higher consumption and worse emissions - so it makes sense to address the renewal cycle in fleet policy.

What exactly do you have to report from the fleet: map Scope 1 / 2 / 3 (virtually)

Scope 1 - direct company emissions (most often fuel in own/managed fleet)

Scope 1 typically includes:

Diesel/petrol/CNG/LPG consumed in vehicles owned or operationally controlled by the firm,
emissions from combustion in the engine ('tailpipe') - measured through fuel consumption.

Scope 2 - purchased energy (mainly electricity for charging)

Scope 2 includes:

Electricity for charging EV/PHEVs on company premises or at home (if reimbursed and reported by the company),
Reporting often requires differentiation of methods (location-based vs market-based).

Scope 3 - value chain (this is where fleets diverge the most)

Most relevant categories for mobility:

Business travel (Category 6) - flights, trains, taxis, rentals, business travel.
Employee commuting (Category 7) - employee commuting (by methodology and relevance).
Upstream leased assets (Category 8) - operating lease/rental of vehicles if not in Scope 1/2.
Downstream transport & distribution (Category 9) - subcontracted transport, couriers, external transport.
(by model) also fuel- and energy-related activities and other relevant categories.

Key point: for leasing/renting, it is critical whether the vehicle belongs to Scope 1 (operational control) or Scope 3 (leased assets). Therefore, it is important to have internal rules - otherwise you will duplicate or miss numbers.

What data do you need for fleet ESG reporting (minimum vs. "enterprise")

Minimum dataset (start with this - 80/20)

Vehicle list (VIN/number plate, type, fuel, category, assignment to operation)
Mileage (monthly or quarterly)
Fuel consumption (litres / kg / kWh) - ideally from fuel cards and invoices
WLTP CO2 (g/km) or consumption from technical data (if you don't have fuel data)
Type of use (own vs. lease vs. rental vs. subcontractor)
Methodology (Scope mapping + emission factors + boundaries)

Enterprise dataset (if you want accuracy + audit comfort)

Telematics (real km, idle, driving style)
Traffic resolution (city/highway), LCV load
Charging data (where, when, how many kWh, what electricity mix)
service data (to support the decarbonisation plan)
cost data (TCO, downtime) - for "investment insight" and CFO reasoning

How to calculate fleet CO2: 3 practical methods (and when to use which one)

Method A - fuel method (best for Scope 1, auditable)

Formula (simplified):

CO2 = fuel consumption × fuel emission factor

Advantages:

relies on invoices/cards, has a good audit trail
also works for LCVs with different real-world driving profiles

Disadvantages:

you need to have good fuel data (not just a "guess")

Method B - distance (when you have km but poor fuel data)

Formula:

CO2 = km × emission factor (g/km)

Advantages:

Simple, fast, suitable for first version reporting

Disadvantages:

WLTP g/km may not fit the logistical reality (city, load, winter)

Method C - Combined (most practical for ICE + EV mix)

ICE: fuel method (A)
EV: kWh × electricity emission factor (Scope 2)
Rentals/leasing: according to set limits (Scope 1 or Scope 3)

Recommendation: for corporations, the combined method is the most stable in practice and is best explained to the auditor.

Reporting under ESRS E1: what the auditor asks (and how to prepare)

1) Boundaries and methodology

what is in Scope 1/2/3 and why
what emission factors do you use
How do you deal with leasing/renting (operational control vs leased assets)

2) Data quality and estimates

Where the data comes from (invoices, cards, telematics, exports)
what proportion is measured vs. estimated
how do you address missing data

3) Comparability over time

base year
rules for calculations for fleet changes (acquisitions, divestitures, reorganizations)

Comparison of fleet ESG reporting solutions: what works in the corporation

1) Excel + manual data collection

Pluses: quick start, low cost. Minuses: risk of errors, weak audit trail, difficult scalability.

2) Fleet platform / telematics

Pluses: automation, uniform KPIs, accuracy. Minuses: integrations, governance, need for internal data owner.

3) OEM solutions (manufacturer)

Pluses: detailed data for a specific brand. Minuses: multiple systems in mixed fleet, weaker uniformity.

4) Mobility partner (leasing/rental) + reporting inputs

For operating leases and rentals, you can often get:

Billing data, mileage, service outputs,
structured documents for Scope 3 (leased assets),
quick fleet change (e.g. temporary capacity for logistics without asset purchase).

How AVIS solves this (practically):

AVIS Lease: operating lease with service, insurance, assistance and fleet management (facilitates both TCO control and data outputs).
AVIS MaxiRent / AVIS Van: flexible leasing (also for vans), suitable for seasonal peaks and projects - with the right boundary settings, it will also help with Scope 3 record keeping.

Implementation plan for 60-90 days (handy "playbook")

Week 1-2: Setting boundaries and responsibilities

Determine data owner (fleet/finance/ESG)
Define scope mapping for vehicles and leases
select calculation methodology (A/B/C)

Week 3-6: Data collection and first calculation

Exports from fuel cards, leasing, rentals, telematics
fill in missing data (WLTP, fuel type, category)
First version of dashboard (monthly/quarterly)

Week 7-12: Audit readiness + improve accuracy

Documentation of methodology and emission factors
Check for duplicates (Scope 1 vs Scope 3)
Set rules for base year and fleet changes

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1) Do we also need to report CO2 from leased cars and vans? Yes, at a minimum this typically appears in Scope 3 (leased assets or business travel). Depends on boundary settings and "operational control".

2) Is WLTP g/km sufficient? For the first version maybe yes, but for logistics (LCV, city, load) it is more accurate to go through fuel and real data.

3) How to report electric deliveries? Emissions are mainly moved to Scope 2 (kWh × electricity emission factor). It is important to distinguish where charging is done and how kWh are recorded.

4) What if we don't have telematics? Start with fuel cards/invoices and mileage. Telematics is an "upgrade" for accuracy and automation.

5) Will the rules change yet? Simplifications are underway in the EU, but the basic logic (Scope 1/2/3, auditable data, methodology) remains. Prepare a minimum dataset now.

TL;DR (summary)

In 2026, ESG reporting under EU rules for large companies tightens significantly - fleet is a critical part of CO2.
Transport accounts for a large share of emissions; road transport dominates transport emissions.
The key is to properly allocate emissions to Scope 1/2/3 and avoid duplication in leasing/rentals.
Combination works best: fuel (Scope 1) + kWh (Scope 2) + clear rules for leases (Scope 3).
In 60-90 days you can have functional reporting if you have a data owner, methodology and minimum dataset.

Keywords and entities (used + related)

Main KW: ESG, CO2

Related KWs and entities: CSRD, ESRS, ESRS E1, double materiality, Scope 1, Scope 2, Scope 3, GHG Protocol, CO2e, emission factors, fuel cards, telematics, fleet management, operating lease, long term lease, leased assets, business travel, employee commuting, LCV, vans, fleet electrification, TCO, audit trail, base year, EEA, Eurostat, ACEA.

Conclusion and CTA

ESG fleet reporting is not about "having a number" but being able to defend it: with methodology, boundaries, data sources and regularity. The earlier you set the minimum dataset and process, the less stress there will be for the first mandatory report or for the tenders.

Do you want to set up fleet CO2 reporting (Scope 1/2/3) while having flexible capacity for logistics? Contact us. At AVIS, we can help with mobility (both operating leases and van rentals) and with supporting documents to facilitate internal reporting.