OREANDA-NEWS. November 17, 2015. Two hundred employees will promote Renault-Nissan's leadership in electric vehicles while driving EV shuttles during the global summit on climate change in Paris.

Employees – who completed a one-and-a half-day training course to become drivers and EV ambassadors – will shuttle VIP negotiators, delegates and media at the 21st annual Conference of Parties (known as COP21), from Nov. 29 to Dec. 11.

Renault-Nissan Alliance will provide 200 pure electric vehicles for COP21 – the world's largest electric-vehicle fleet ever to an international conference. The EV fleet – which is comprised of the Nissan LEAF, Renault ZOE and the Nissan e-NV200 – is expected to cover more than 400,000 km in two weeks, fueled with renewable and extremely low-carbon energy, without a single drop of petroleum.

Delegates can request an EV shuttle through an online reservation system – cop21evshuttle.com – specifically developed for the event. Shuttles from Renault-Nissan will run to and from hotels to the conference venue. More than 20,000 U.N. participants from 195 countries are expected to attend the summit.

"As soon as Renault-Nissan decided to support COP21, our employees started asking how they could be directly involved," said Marie-Francoise Damesin, Renault-Nissan's global head of human resources. "Helping negotiators get to their meetings, riding in quiet and smooth EVs that can be 100 percent recharged with renewable and extremely low-carbon electricity, sends a powerful message about our corporate commitment to the environment – and about our employees' desire to be part of the solution to climate change."

EV Drivers Call to Action

In June, the Renault-Nissan Alliance launched a call for volunteers to allow employees in and around Paris the opportunity to be part of COP21 as volunteer drivers. The response was overwhelming, with more than 450 employees applying before the recruitment process was closed. Many of the volunteers drive an EV, and others work directly for Renault and Nissan's EV programs.

Employees selected for the program had to have driver licenses for at least two years, French and English language skills (additional languages preferred), and motivation to promote Renault-Nissan's EV leadership. Each candidate had to write an essay explaining their interest in the program.

"I want to spread the word that EVs are the most pleasant, fun-to-drive, efficient and quiet way to get around," said Fran?ois-Xavier Lejeune, an engineer from Renault who will drive negotiators during the environmental summit. "A major theme of COP21 is `solutions,' and it's clear to me that EVs already represent the solution for the transportation sector to become more sustainable."

"I strongly believe all corporations, including mine, should invest in sustainable solutions for the protection of the planet and mankind," said Marion Lerussard, another volunteer driver who works in the aftersales department of Nissan West in France.

In addition to the shuttle service, Renault-Nissan will participate in Solutions COP21, an international exhibition on climate-change solutions, at the Grand Palais in Paris. The exhibition, which will take place from Dec. 4-10, will feature projects to reduce CO2 from cities, businesses and other organizations around the world.

Renault-Nissan will have a multimedia gallery of people who switched from conventional cars to EVs. Renault-Nissan will also give public test drives of EVs along iconic Parisian streets.