For equipment suppliers and OEMs, this creates both a challenge and an opportunity. While adoption of usage-based models remains uneven, the barriers identified highlight where greater clarity, flexibility and support are needed. Those able to simplify propositions, address perceived cost concerns and support customers across the full lifecycle will be better positioned to capture emerging demand as the market evolves.
In our previous articles, we explored how capital tie-up and lifecycle management are constraining growth and adding complexity to equipment strategies across Europe. Together, these pressures raise an important question: as ownership becomes more complex, how are businesses approaching alternative models?
Across Europe, the Outlook shows that organisations are adopting usage-based models for part of their equipment. 45% of businesses already access at least a quarter of their equipment through these models. At the same time, the findings suggest a more nuanced picture. Adoption does not appear to be progressing uniformly, and in many cases, remains constrained by a range of factors. Among the most frequently cited barriers preventing greater use are:
- a preference for ownership
- lack of supplier options
- perceived higher cost over time
- lack of internal understanding of how these models work
- uncertainty around end-of-contract processes
- accounting or reporting complexity
- procurement policy
Taken together, these factors create friction in wider adoption of usage-based models and help explain why uptake remains uneven.
What this signals for OEMs and equipment suppliers
Leaders recognise the value of usage-based models
Despite these barriers, the report shows that business leaders clearly recognise the potential of usage-based models:
- 58% say that greater access to equipment would improve their agility.
- 50% believe traditional CAPEX models expose them to unnecessary financial risk.
- 49% say more flexible access would help them respond to sudden shifts in demand
The findings also suggest that some organisations associate usage-based models with:
- improved access to newer technologies
- reduced exposure to obsolescence
- greater flexibility in uncertain environments
This points to a broader perception of usage-based models not only as financing alternatives, but as tools that support flexibility and their responsiveness in changing market conditions.
What this signals for OEMs and equipment suppliers
Ownership still matters but expectations are evolving
Despite the presence of usage-based models, ownership remains a central component of equipment strategies. In many sectors, it continues to provide:
- control
- predictability
- long-term stability
At the same time, the data suggests its role is increasingly assessed in context. Rather than a binary choice, businesses are evaluating ownership alongside other options, depending on asset type, lifecycle and strategic priorities.
What this signals for OEMs and equipment suppliers
Conclusion: a more complex landscape of ownership and usage
The Outlook findings do not point to a simple shift towards usage-based models. Instead, they highlight a more complex landscape. Usage-based models are present within the data, and their potential benefits are recognised by business leaders. At the same time, adoption remains shaped by a range of practical, structural and ecosystem factors. Overall, the picture is less one of transition and more one of reassessment – where different approaches are considered alongside one another, depending on context.
Frequently asked questions
Usage-based models refer to approaches where businesses prioritise access, flexibility or outcomes over ownership.
These can include leasing (without an ownership option), rental or subscription-based structures.
The report suggests that some organisations associate these models with greater flexibility, improved access to newer technology and reduced exposure to obsolescence.
Key barriers include cultural preference for ownership, limited availability of supplier offers, perceived higher cost over time, and lack of internal understanding of how these models operate.
The findings in the Outlook do not indicate a shift away from ownership. Instead, businesses appear to assess ownership alongside other approaches, depending on asset type, lifecycle and strategic priorities.
The report does not suggest a replacement of CAPEX models. Rather, different approaches appear to coexist, with businesses combining models based on their specific needs and constraints.
Get the full report
Get practical, data‑driven insights into how European businesses are rethinking equipment strategy. Based on research with over 1,000 business leaders across six key sectors, the European Business Equipment Outlook 2026 highlights the trends, challenges and priorities shaping equipment strategy today, and what they mean for businesses looking to stay competitive.
In our next article, we bring these insights together to explore a broader question: if ownership and usage both have a role to play, how are businesses finding the right balance between them?
In our previous article, we explored how capital tied-up is constraining growth for European businesses and why ownership decisions are becoming harder to justify in a fast-changing environment. But equipment strategy is not only being reshaped by financial pressures.
A second, equally significant shift is underway: the increasing complexity of managing equipment beyond acquisition. We tend to think of equipment decisions as a moment in time. A purchase. A contract. A deployment. Increasingly, they are not.
They are becoming ongoing responsibilities extending beyond acquisition into tracking, compliance, maintenance, and end-of-life coordination. And for many European businesses, this shift is proving difficult to manage in practice.
Our latest research – the European Business Equipment Outlook 2026 – conducted among more than 1,000 decision-makers across 11 European countries, highlights a growing reality: equipment strategy is no longer just about access and financing. It is about managing assets across their full lifecycle and meeting rising expectations along the way.
For manufacturers, dealers and equipment suppliers, this shift has direct implications. It is already reshaping how your customers evaluate equipment, how procurement decisions are made, and what “value” means in a sales conversation.
A changing context: lifecycle expectations are rising
The environment in which businesses operate has changed significantly. Alongside economic pressures, such as interest rates, cost-of-capital constraints, and supply chain volatility, organisations are facing growing regulatory and reporting requirements. Frameworks such as CSRD, SFDR and the Circular Economy Act are increasing expectations around transparency, traceability and asset management over time. As a result, equipment decisions are no longer judged solely on performance or price. They are increasingly assessed on how assets are:
- tracked throughout their lifecycle
- maintained and optimised
- redeployed, refurbished or recycled
- documented for compliance and reporting purposes
What was once a downstream operational concern is now moving upstream into procurement and investment decisions.
What this signals for OEMs and equipment suppliers
Lifecycle management is already influencing procurement decisions
This shift is not theoretical. It is already shaping behaviour. 68% of European business leaders say that the ease of managing refurbishment, reuse, recycling or disposal influences their equipment purchasing decisions. In other words, lifecycle considerations are no longer secondary. They are becoming part of the initial decision-making criteria. But this growing importance is not matched by operational readiness.
Nearly nine in ten organisations (87%) say that managing the end-of-life of owned equipment is challenging. This reveals a fundamental gap. Businesses increasingly understand what is required of them. But many do not yet have the capabilities, processes or visibility to deliver on those expectations.
What this signals for OEMs and equipment suppliers
A structural gap between ambition and execution
This gap is not simply a matter of intent or awareness. It is structural. Traditional ownership models were designed predominantly around acquisition and depreciation. They were not built to provide full lifecycle visibility, tracking, or coordination across multiple stakeholders. As lifecycle accountability becomes more complex, this limitation is becoming more apparent. Organisations are being asked to:
- monitor assets more closely
- report on asset lifecycle impact
- ensure responsible end-of-life outcomes
Yet the tools, processes and ecosystems required to manage these responsibilities at scale are still evolving. This explains why lifecycle management is simultaneously a strategic priority and an operational challenge.
What this signals for OEMs and equipment suppliers
Where financing fits and where it does not
It is tempting to view financing models as the primary lever for improving lifecycle outcomes. They can play a role. In certain contexts, solutions that incorporate structured return mechanisms may facilitate:
- asset redeployment
- refurbishment
- improved lifecycle visibility
But financing alone does not determine lifecycle performance. Outcomes also depend on:
- product design
- maintenance practices
- supply chain coordination
- the ability to track and manage assets over time
This is an important distinction. Lifecycle strategy is not purely a financial question. It is an operational and ecosystem question as well.
What this signals for OEMs and equipment suppliers
Ownership still matters but the criteria are evolving
Despite these changes, ownership remains important. Across many sectors, it continues to offer:
- control
- predictability
- and long-term availability
But it is no longer evaluated in isolation. The question is no longer simply whether ownership is important. It is how it fits within a broader strategy that includes lifecycle management, flexibility and compliance.
What this signals for OEMs and equipment suppliers
Conclusion: from equipment strategy to lifecycle strategy
What is emerging is a broader transformation. Equipment strategy is becoming lifecycle strategy. What was once a discrete transaction is now part of a continuous process, one that spans acquisition, use, optimisation, and end-of-life. For businesses, this increases complexity. For OEMs and equipment suppliers, it changes the nature of value. The competitive question is no longer only: what equipment do you sell? It is increasingly: how does that equipment perform, evolve, and get managed over time?
Frequently asked questions
Lifecycle accountability refers to the responsibility of managing equipment across its full lifecycle including use, maintenance, tracking, and end-of-life processes such as reuse, recycling or disposal.
Rising regulatory requirements, sustainability expectations and operational complexity are pushing organisations to better track and manage assets beyond acquisition.
87% of European businesses report difficulties managing end-of-life equipment, reflecting gaps in processes, visibility, and coordination capabilities.
Buyers increasingly expect lifecycle support alongside equipment. Vendors who can reduce complexity and support asset management over time are better positioned to meet these expectations.
Get the full report
Get practical, data‑driven insights into how European businesses are rethinking equipment strategy. Based on research with over 1,000 business leaders across six key sectors, the European Business Equipment Outlook 2026 highlights the trends, challenges and priorities shaping equipment strategy today, and what they mean for businesses looking to stay competitive.
In our next article, we will explore how businesses are responding to these pressures by rethinking the balance between ownership and access – and what is really driving the adoption of usage-based models across Europe.
Equipment is still widely treated as an investment – but for many businesses, it has become a source of capital lock‑up. That is exactly what our European Business Equipment Outlook 2026 reveals. Based on insights from more than 1,000 decision‑makers across 11 European countries, the report shows that for most businesses, capital locked into physical equipment is now actively constraining business growth.
For manufacturers and their distribution partners, these findings matter. They explain why customer conversations are getting harder, why deals stall later in the cycle, and why the question of how equipment is acquired is increasingly shaping whether it gets acquired at all. What follows is a read of your customers’ world – and what it signals for how you go to market.
A context that makes things worse
To understand why capital lock‑up has become such a pressing issue, we first need to look at the environment businesses are operating in. According to our survey, 95% of respondents say their equipment becomes obsolete faster than it did five years ago. The impact is significant: 43% say their equipment sometimes becomes obsolete before delivering the expected return on investment.
In this context, committing to heavy upfront investment is increasingly risky. This is where capital lock‑up becomes a central challenge, as businesses continue to tie up capital in assets that lose value faster than anticipated.
What this signals for OEMs and equipment suppliers
When equipment ownership constrains business growth
The numbers speak for themselves: 87% of business leaders say that capital lock-up in equipment has, at some point, limited their company’s growth opportunities. Only 13% say they have never experienced this problem.
This is not a marginal phenomenon. It is the norm. And for 35% of respondents, this constraint occurs frequently or very frequently – not occasionally, but on a recurring basis.
Geographic variations underline the scale of the issue: the Netherlands records the highest proportion of frequent constraints (45%), followed by Spain (38%). But no market is spared. In equipment-intensive sectors such as healthcare, transport and logistics, or agriculture, this phenomenon is cited as particularly significant.
Where buyers would deploy capital if it were freed up
What the numbers don’t say directly is what this blocked capital actually represents in practice. When asked what they would do if it were freed up, business leaders are clear: they would invest in areas that define future competitiveness.
33% would prioritise sustainability and green technology initiatives. 32% would focus on expanding into new markets. The same proportion would invest in digital transformation or technology upgrades. 31% would direct that capital towards innovation and R&D.
What stands out in these responses is their diversity. Business leaders are not looking for a single alternative: they are looking for the freedom to rebalance their investments according to their strategic priorities at any given moment. And that is precisely the freedom that capital lock-up takes away from them.
What this signals for OEMs and equipment suppliers
Technology uncertainty adds another layer of complexity
On top of these constraints, comes another: 64% of decision-makers say that uncertainty around future technologies is delaying their equipment investment decisions. Investing now means risking obsolescence. Waiting means risking a loss of competitiveness. A difficult dilemma to resolve when capital is already under pressure.
This creates a form of partial paralysis: businesses know they need to invest, but hesitate over when and in what, which, paradoxically, extends the lifespan of ageing equipment and compounds the obsolescence problem further.
What this signals for OEMs and equipment suppliers
Ownership still dominates equipment financing – but perspectives are shifting
Despite these pressures, asset ownership remains dominant: 41% of businesses primarily acquire equipment through outright purchase. This is not surprising. Ownership offers control, stability, and continues to be seen as fundamental across many sectors. But what is changing is how business leaders evaluate it. The question is no longer “Should we own?”, it has become “In which cases is the capital tied up in ownership still worth the cost?” A subtle shift in perspective, but a significant one.
What this signals for OEMs and equipment suppliers
Frequently asked questions
Capital lock-up refers to capital that is tied up in owned physical assets and is therefore unavailable for deployment elsewhere in the business. According to the European Business Equipment Outlook 2026, 87% of European business leaders report that capital lock-up has limited their company’s growth opportunities at some point.
95% of European decision-makers surveyed say equipment becomes obsolete faster than it did five years ago, driven by accelerating technology cycles, embedded software, and connectivity standards that evolve independently of the hardware itself.
Businesses are increasingly evaluating leasing, rental and usage-based models alongside traditional purchase. The choice depends on asset type, technology cycle length, and how the business values flexibility versus control.
The shift in buyer perspective means manufacturers and equipment suppliers are increasingly expected to offer flexible financing solutions alongside their products. Vendors who integrate financing and usage-based options into their go-to-market are removing a friction point that competitors still impose on customers.
Get the full report
Get practical, data‑driven insights into how European businesses are rethinking equipment strategy. Based on research with over 1,000 business leaders across six key sectors, the European Business Equipment Outlook 2026 highlights the trends, challenges and priorities shaping equipment strategy today, and what they mean for businesses looking to stay competitive.
In our next article, we explore another major challenge identified by European decision-makers: the growing complexity of equipment lifecycle management and why it is reshaping procurement criteria for European businesses.

Paris, London 20th May 2026 – BNP Paribas Leasing Solutions, a leading provider of business equipment finance, has released new research showing that European businesses are re-evaluating equipment investment decisions as capital, technology and lifecycle pressures intensify.
The European Business Equipment Outlook 2026, based on research among more than 1,000 C-suite and senior decision-makers across Europe, found that 87% of business leaders have experienced growth constraints because capital remained tied up in owned physical assets.
The findings suggest that equipment decisions are becoming more complex, as organisations weigh the benefits of ownership against capital constraints, technology uncertainty and lifecycle management challenges.
The research spans equipment-intensive sectors including agriculture, construction, transport and logistics, technology, healthcare and renewable energy.
Against a backdrop of rising borrowing costs, persistent inflationary pressures and geopolitical uncertainty, the research shows that long-term capital allocation decisions are becoming increasingly difficult for business leaders. According to the Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI), eurozone business activity contracted in April as global conflict pushes up fuel and production costs for many European businesses. This is adding further cost pressure to businesses and making long-term investment decisions inherently more complex.
When asked how they would redeploy capital if it were freed from physical assets, respondents identified a range of strategic priorities:
- 32% would prioritise market expansion and digital transformation
- 31% would invest in R&D and innovation
- 33% would invest in sustainability initiatives, green technologies or energy efficiency.
“For many businesses, the issue is no longer whether to invest, but how to invest without unnecessarily tying up capital that could be deployed elsewhere. Capital lock‑up is reducing flexibility for European businesses at a time when they need it most. Leaders want to invest in growth, innovation and sustainability, but too much capital remains locked into assets that can quickly lose value.”
Neil Pein, CEO at BNP Paribas Leasing Solutions
The research also highlights growing pressure from accelerating technology cycles. Business leaders are almost unanimous (95%) in their belief that equipment becomes obsolete faster than it did five years ago while 64% say uncertainty about future technology is delaying capital expenditure decisions. This creates a growing challenge for organisations: commit capital today and risk assets becoming outdated faster than expected, or delay investment and risk slowing innovation and competitiveness.
Alongside financial and technology pressures, the report points to a growing operational challenge around lifecycle management.
Nearly nine in ten organisations (87%) say managing the end-of-life of owned equipment is challenging, while 68% say the ease of refurbishment, reuse, recycling or disposal now influences procurement decisions.
The findings suggest that business leaders are placing greater emphasis not only on acquisition and financing decisions, but also on how equipment is managed across its lifecycle, as regulatory expectations, sustainability scrutiny and operational complexity continue to rise.
“Ownership remains an important and appropriate strategy in many situations. But organisations are increasingly evaluating equipment decisions through a broader lens – considering not only control and long-term use, but also flexibility, adaptability and lifecycle responsibility. The question is becoming less about ownership versus access, and more about choosing the right approach for the asset, the business need and the pace of change.”
Neil Pein, CEO at BNP Paribas Leasing Solutions
More insights can be found in the European Business Equipment Outlook 2026.
– ENDS –
ABOUT BNP PARIBAS LEASING SOLUTIONS
BNP Paribas Leasing Solutions provides capital‑efficient equipment financing solutions across key sectors including agriculture, construction, transportation, materials handling, ICT, healthcare and green technologies. With 70 years of experience, the company supports partners and clients with deep market expertise, asset know‑how and advisory services to drive growth, transformation and the transition to a low‑carbon circular economy. In 2025, BNP Paribas Leasing Solutions advanced €15.5 billion in asset finance and manages a leased asset portfolio of €38.8 billion. Present in 18 countries across Europe and Türkiye, and employing more than 3,000 experts, the company also offers vendor finance solutions in the United States and Canada in partnership with Bank of Montreal, and in China through a joint venture with Jiangsu Financial Leasing. BNP Paribas Leasing Solutions is wholly owned by BNP Paribas and operates within the Group’s Commercial, Personal Banking & Services division.
For more information, visit leasingsolutions.bnpparibas
• EIB lends BNP Paribas Leasing Solutions €200 million to support SMEs and midcaps operating in the agriculture and bioeconomy sectors.
• At least 30% is dedicated to climate action and environmental sustainability, facilitating the adoption of more resource-efficient and environmentally friendly equipment by European farmers.
• The operation aligns with the EU rural development policy and promotes economic growth and employment.

[Luxembourg / Paris, 13 May 2026] – The European Investment Bank (EIB) has signed a €200 million financing agreement with BNP Paribas Leasing Solutions to support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and mid-cap companies operating in the agriculture and bioeconomy sectors across Europe.
The financing is part of the EIB’s broader €3 billion pan-European agricultural programme, launched in 2024 to support sustainable investment across the sector . The programme places a particular emphasis on improving access to finance for young, new and female farmers, who often face structural barriers in securing funding.
The financing will be rolled out across several EU Member States, with initial allocations expected in Italy, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands and Spain.
At least 30% of the financing will be dedicated to climate action and environmental sustainability, supporting investments such as energy-efficient agricultural equipment like tractors and combine harvesters, renewable energy solutions, and technologies contributing to climate change mitigation and adaptation.
The programme will also support the modernisation and productivity of the agricultural sector, particularly through investments in assets with long economic lifetimes that are often difficult to finance through traditional banking channels.
By leveraging BNP Paribas Leasing Solutions’ pan-European platform, the initiative is expected to improve access to long-term financing, reduce financing costs, extend maturities and mobilise additional private investment. A minimum of 70% of the financing will be allocated to SMEs, with midcaps representing up to 30%.
“This operation will help European farmers and agri‑businesses invest in modern, more sustainable equipment, strengthen their resilience and better manage climate and market pressures. By addressing persistent market gaps and working with trusted partners such as BNP Paribas Leasing Solutions, we are making long‑term finance more accessible, accelerating the transition towards a more resource‑efficient and competitive agricultural sector.”
Gelsomina Vigliotti, EIB Vice-President
This initiative contributes directly to key European policy objectives, including the EU Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and the EU Vision for Agriculture and Food, while aligning with the EIB Group’s 2024–2027 Strategic Roadmap, where agriculture and bioeconomy are identified as core priorities.
It also addresses persistent market failures in rural financing, particularly the limited availability of long-term funding for agricultural businesses.
In 2025, the EIB Group provided €6.9 billion in financing to the agriculture and bioeconomy sector, with approximately 60% channelled to SMEs via partner financial institutions.
Through this collaboration, the EIB and BNP Paribas Leasing Solutions aim to accelerate the transition towards a more resilient, sustainable and competitive European agricultural sector, ensuring that financing reaches businesses where it is most needed.
[ENDS]
ABOUT EIB Group
The European Investment Bank (EIB) Group is the financing arm of the European Union, owned by the 27 Member States, and one of the largest multilateral development banks in the world. In 2025, the EIB Group signed €100 billion in new financing and advisory services for over 870 high-impact projects under eight core priorities that support EU policy objectives: climate action and the environment, digitalisation and technological innovation, security and defence, territorial cohesion, agriculture and the bioeconomy, social infrastructure, strong global partnerships and the savings and investments union. Beyond long-term loans for large infrastructure, the EIB Group crowds in private investment for high-risk innovative projects and businesses, with a growing role in Europe’s markets for venture debt, venture capital, guarantees and securitisations.
Photos of the EIB Group’s representatives and headquarters, logo files and video B-roll for media use are available here.
ABOUT BNP PARIBAS LEASING SOLUTIONS
BNP Paribas Leasing Solutions offers capital-efficient business equipment financing solutions in key sectors including agriculture, construction, transportation, materials handling, ICT, healthcare, and green tech.
Drawing on its 70-year history, its partners and clients rely on its market expertise, asset know-how, and advisory services to propel their growth, transformation, and transition to a low-carbon circular economy. In 2025, BNP Paribas Leasing Solutions advanced €15.5 billion in asset finance and presently manages a €38.8 billion leased asset portfolio.
Present in 18 countries across Europe and Türkiye, and employing over 3 000 experts, BNP Paribas Leasing Solutions also offers vendor finance solutions in the USA and Canada in partnership with Bank of Montreal, and in China through a joint venture with Jiangsu Financial Leasing.
BNP Paribas Leasing Solutions is fully owned by BNP Paribas and is positioned within the Group’s Commercial, Personal Banking & Services division.
BNP Paribas Leasing Solutions plays a direct role in supporting the real economy – working alongside businesses that feed, build, move, connect and care for people every day. Our mission is to be a long‑term partner to our clients and partners, supporting their activity through access to essential business assets.
This video explains how we work with businesses across sectors, combining expertise, partnership and a deep understanding of equipment to support growth, resilience and sustainable progress. It reflects our commitment to standing alongside the real economy, today and over the long term.
Watch the video to discover our mission in action.
Join us in unlocking the circular economy
At BNP Paribas Leasing Solutions, we’re not just financing equipment – we’re shaping a more sustainable future. Our commitment to unlocking the circular economy is at the heart of everything we do, from our innovative leasing solutions to our partnerships with forward-thinking businesses.
We invite you to join us on this journey. Together, we can unlock the potential of the circular economy and sustain the world we share.
Access to equipment plays a critical role in how economies develop, industries transform and societies prosper. Across sectors that feed, build, move, connect and care for people, the ability to use equipment efficiently and responsibly shapes both economic performance and environmental impact.
This video captures the purpose that guides BNP Paribas Leasing Solutions: enabling access to equipment while supporting a shift from traditional ownership models towards usage‑based solutions. By staying engaged throughout an asset’s lifecycle, we help optimise its use, extend its value and reduce waste – contributing to a more circular and lower‑carbon economy.
Our purpose reflects the impact we seek to create alongside our partners and clients every day: supporting growth, enabling transformation and helping businesses transition to more sustainable models.
Watch the video to discover what drives us.
Alternatively click to view in English or French.
Join us in unlocking the circular economy
At BNP Paribas Leasing Solutions, we’re not just financing equipment – we’re shaping a more sustainable future. Our commitment to unlocking the circular economy is at the heart of everything we do, from our innovative leasing solutions to our partnerships with forward-thinking businesses.
We invite you to join us on this journey. Together, we can unlock the potential of the circular economy and sustain the world we share.
A recent briefing from the European Environment Agency reviewed evidence on how circular economy strategies can contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. One of its most useful contributions is not a headline number, but a framework: impact sits across before use, during use and after use.
For business leaders, this is less about sustainability rhetoric and more about how assets create value over time. Circularity is not just about recycling. It is about how products are designed, how intensively they are used, and what happens to them once their first use cycle ends. Increasingly, these stages are commercially connected.
Before Use: Design Shapes Cost and Performance
A significant share of a product’s cost base – and environmental footprint – is determined at the design and production stage. Decisions around durability, repairability, modularity and material efficiency directly affect uptime, maintenance costs and replacement frequency. Manufacturers are already responding to supply chain volatility, material constraints and regulatory pressure. Designing products that last longer and can be upgraded rather than replaced is becoming a competitiveness issue.
Business models influence this. When value is delivered over time rather than captured only at the point of sale, durability and serviceability become commercially relevant.
During Use: Utilisation Is an Efficiency Question
The “during use” phase is often overlooked in executive discussions, yet it is where significant operational inefficiency can sit. Across sectors, assets are frequently underutilised, replaced earlier than necessary, maintained inconsistently and disconnected from structured lifecycle planning
From a management perspective, this represents idle capital and avoidable cost. Usage-based approaches – including rental, product-as-a-service and performance contracts – shift the focus from ownership to outcomes. Instead of asking “Who owns the asset?”, the question becomes “How efficiently is it delivering value?”
Higher utilisation rates can mean fewer assets are required to deliver the same business output. Extended lifetimes reduce replacement cycles and disruption. Structured maintenance improves reliability and productivity.
Research reviewed by the European Environment Agency suggests that these shifts can contribute to lower emissions by reducing demand for new production. But even without the climate lens, the commercial logic stands: better utilisation improves capital efficiency and operational resilience. Any emissions benefit is a by-product of improved asset productivity – not a standalone claim.
After Use: Recovery Depends on Earlier Decisions
Recycling and recovery remain important, but they rarely compensate for inefficient use upstream. End-of-use outcomes can depend on multiple factors such as:
- Whether condition and usage data were tracked
- Whether the product was designed for refurbishment or disassembly
- Whether secondary applications exist
If assets are deployed within structured frameworks where maintenance and condition are monitored, then refurbishment and redeployment become more viable. For the user, this translates into smoother transitions, less operational disruption and more predictable asset planning. Again, the commercial driver is continuity and efficiency. Environmental gains follow when fewer new products need to be manufactured to replace prematurely discarded ones.
Connecting the Phases: Why Business Model Matters
The EEA’s lifecycle framing highlights something practical: the three phases reinforce each other:
- Design affects longevity.
- Utilisation affects replacement demand.
- Traceability affects redeployment options.
Usage-based models operate most directly in the “during use” phase, but they influence the others. When revenue is linked to performance over time, here is greater incentive to support durable design, maintenance becomes structured rather than reactive and asset planning becomes lifecycle-based rather than transaction-based.
This alignment does not automatically reduce emissions. Outcomes depend on sector characteristics, energy systems and user behaviour. But it does create conditions in which lower material throughput – and therefore lower upstream production emissions – become more likely. For general management, that translates into improved asset productivity, reduced operational downtime and stronger collaboration with suppliers. The climate dimension increasingly sits within these operational choices, rather than outside them.
A Practical Perspective
Circular economy discussions can become abstract. The more relevant question for executives is straightforward: How do we extract more value from the assets already in circulation?
- Extending useful life by two or three years?
- Increasing utilisation across difference customer segments?
- Designing products that can be upgraded instead of replaced?
These are operational decisions with financial consequences. The European Environment Agency’s research suggests that when these shifts occur at scale, they can also contribute to emissions reduction. The degree of impact will vary, and it should be measured rather than assumed.
No single model guarantees outcomes. What matters is whether lifecycle thinking becomes embedded in commercial decision-making. In that sense, the circular economy is less about waste management and more about asset strategy – and for many sectors, that conversation is already moving from sustainability teams into the boardroom.
(This article was published by Motor Transport on 7 April 2026 and is available in English only.)
As fleet electrification accelerates across Europe, the road haulage sector is entering a new phase. In an article published by Motor Transport, Dr Ouafae Cohin, Global Business Development Manager for Green & Tech Market at BNP Paribas Leasing Solutions, highlights a strong signal: the first electric HGV to cross the English Channel, illustrating the potential of long‑distance electric freight. This momentum is part of a broader context of rapid growth in electric vehicle sales, driven by tightening emissions targets, a widening range of available models, and improvements in total cost of ownership.
The article also points to a major challenge: the growing gap between electric vehicle adoption and the pace of charging infrastructure deployment. The specific needs of the haulage sector, pressure on existing networks, high investment costs and emerging financing models are examined, notably through the rise of “charging‑as‑a‑service” solutions. A must‑read to understand why infrastructure, just as much as vehicles, will be decisive in sustaining the electrification of transport.
Read the full article on the Motor Transport website
[Paris, France –14 April 2026]
BNP Paribas Leasing Solutions, a leading provider of business equipment finance, has signed an agreement with Carrier, global leader in intelligent climate and energy solutions, to establish a strategic financing agreement across Europe. The agreement sets the foundation for a multi-country financing partnership to support Carrier’s commercial customers with financing solutions.
Under this agreement, BNP Paribas Leasing Solutions and Carrier will offer finance leases and hire-purchase solutions for commercial HVAC equipment including heat pumps, chillers, boilers and air handling units. The collaboration is designed to enable Carrier’s European affiliates to deliver equipment to end-users with attractive financing options.
As businesses across Europe face rising energy costs, increasing regulatory pressure and the need to accelerate the transition to more energy-efficient and electrified systems, access to flexible financing is becoming a critical enabler of adoption.
The partnership extends across major European markets such as Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Austria, Belgium, the Netherlands and Poland, with the potential to reach additional EU countries in the future.
A statement from BNP Paribas Leasing Solutions:
“We are proud to partner with Carrier to make high-quality, energy-efficient equipment more accessible across Europe. This agreement demonstrates how innovative financing can support business growth while contributing to sustainability goals,” said Pascale Favre, Managing Director for BNP Paribas Leasing Solutions’ technology leasing division.
A statement from Carrier:
“This agreement enables Carrier to deploy advanced HVAC systems on a lease basis to our customers, accelerating adoption of more energy-efficient technologies across Europe,” said Marc Eckerhall, Executive Director Services & Aftermarket, Climate Solutions Europe, Carrier.
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About BNP Paribas Leasing Solutions
BNP Paribas Leasing Solutions offers capital-efficient business equipment financing solutions in key sectors including agriculture, construction, transportation, materials handling, ICT, healthcare, and green tech. Drawing on its 70-year history, its partners and clients rely on its market expertise, asset know-how, and advisory services to propel their growth, transformation, and transition to a low-carbon circular economy.
For more information, visit leasingsolutions.bnpparibas.com
About Carrier
Founded by the inventor of modern air conditioning, Carrier is a world leader in high-technology heating, air-conditioning, digital platforms and building automation systems. Carrier provides sustainable solutions, integrating energy-efficient products, controls and service for commercial applications, including data centers, healthcare facilities, schools, retail centers, office spaces and more. Carrier is a part of Carrier Global Corporation, global leader in intelligent climate and energy solutions, committed to creating innovations that bring comfort, safety and sustainability to life. For more information, visit www.carrier.com or follow us on LinkedIn.
Carrier. For the World We Share.