Lee Broughton, a native of Britain, brings a European perspective to his job as director of corporate identity and sustainability for Enterprise Holdings Inc., the giant car rental and leasing company based in Clayton.

He says that's a good thing.

"Europe has been thinking about some of the sustainability issues now under consideration in the United States, perhaps in a more formal way, for a number of years," Broughton says.

He attributes that at least in part to the history of higher gasoline and other fuel prices in Europe, requiring many Europeans to devise ways to conserve and to seek lower-priced alternatives.

Growing up in London, Broughton once had dreams of a musical career. As a teen and young man, he wrote songs and went to college to study theology, seeking inspiration for his lyrics and also to explore some of the mysteries of life.

He now says the skills he learned during those years are helping him lead Enterprise's efforts to become more environmentally friendly while continuing to grow and remain profitable.

Broughton first joined Enterprise Holdings in Europe, setting up the company's first European corporate communications department in 2003. He previously worked in London for a communications consultancy and later in marketing and communications for Eversheds LLP, one of the world's largest law firms.

Enterprise Holdings — through its brands Alamo Rent A Car, Enterprise Rent-A-Car and National Car Rental — owns and operates more than 1 million cars and trucks in its worldwide fleet.

Why would a successful company like Enterprise be concerned about environmental issues beyond what is minimally required to comply with the law?

We try to balance the interests of our customers, our employees and the parts of the world we touch with our business.

Our leadership role is something we take seriously, and we know it's important to operate with the greater good of our world in mind by addressing the environmental impact of our fleet and operations and ensuring the long-term sustainability of our business.

Beyond that, our focus on environmental issues makes business sense by reducing energy use and energy costs, providing our customers with the environmentally friendly vehicles they demand and building a culture that our employees can be proud of and thrive within.

Do customers generally notice and appreciate your environmental efforts?

The amazing thing about so many of our environmental efforts is that they have a positive impact on our bottom line, whether through cutting costs or ensuring repeat business from happy customers.

Our customers certainly took notice of our carbon offset program. Approximately 175,000 customers participated in the program in the first year by opting to donate $1.25 per rental, generating $220,000 for offset projects (which aim at offsetting carbon emissions, such as capturing and using methane gas produced by landfills to generate electricity, and developing windmill projects).

Our charitable foundation is making a dollar-for-dollar match up to $1 million, which brought to nearly $440,000 the funds that were directed to offset projects in the program's first year.

And customers often ask about the latest technology. They are eager to learn about how hybrids and alternative fuels work.

You hold a degree in theology. Has this background affected the way you approach the business world?

Absolutely, both in terms of transferable skills — such as reading, problem solving/analysis, writing, et cetera — and also in terms of understanding and interest in big ideas and concepts that are a concern today versus the concerns of history. I think the communications skills I learned also gave me a head start in the business world.

What more can be done to improve Enterprise's environmental track record, especially with any limitations imposed by the poor economy?

We work hard to be an innovative company regardless of the state of the economy, and a key part of that innovation is finding ways to decrease fuel and energy use. In fact, a poor economy serves as a reminder to continually seek out ways to cut down on energy use and fossil fuel use to cut costs and support the bottom line.

We continue to look for ways to infuse our fleet and operations with clean technologies and alternative fuels that have a lesser impact on the environment than traditional fossil fuels.

Earlier this year, we announced ... (we) would be shifting more than 600 shuttle buses under the Alamo, Enterprise and National car rental brands to biodiesel, which we expect will lead to a carbon reduction in the first year equivalent to retiring 40 buses from our fleet.

We know our environmental efforts to date are not a total solution, but we continue to take steps in the right direction to help improve our world.

What key changes do you envision in corporate environmental efforts overall in the next five to 10 years?

Customers and business partners are asking more and more about environmental efforts and information when making the decision to buy from or do business with a particular company, meaning that many companies that haven't yet embraced sustainability will begin doing so.

As more and more companies begin to embrace sustainability as a fundamental part of managing a successful business, it will provide opportunities for greater collaboration and sharing of best practices between various companies.

More companies likely will realize that what's good for business is also good for the environment.