Renault Australia has made two key moves in relation to safety and the environment, fitting side-protecting airbags and rear parking sensors as standard across its Kangoo compact van range, and partnering with climate action organisation Greenfleet to offset the expected carbon emissions of select versions of its mid-size Trafic van.

The French brand made a variety of running changes across its various light commercial vehicle lines early in 2016, which included safety equipment upgrades on select Kangoo variants, but the latest action brings the entire range – which spans short-wheelbase petrol, long-wheelbase Maxi diesel and five-seat Crew diesel variants – up to date.

The new features add to a comprehensive list that already includes dual front airbags, electronic stability and traction control systems, and ABS brakes with emergency brake assist.

For Trafic, the carbon offset move – dubbed the Green Van Plan – only applies to those vans that are specified in the distinctive ‘bamboo green’ exterior colour.

Under the incentive, Greenfleet will plant enough native trees to absorb the carbon emissions of all new green-painted Trafics over the first seven years of their working lives, based on an average of 30,000km a year and the official combined-cycle fuel economy figure of 6.2L/100km.

Renault says this will equate to six tonnes of CO2 per green-coloured Trafic per year, which includes an in-built over-allowance of 20 per cent to reflect real-world fuel consumption.

The company has also vowed to ensure that “Bamboo Green Trafic vans will be the most affordable models in the Trafic range to drive away” from showrooms, giving buyers “both a financial and ethical incentive to go green” – so good deals should be available from dealers.