Key considerations
- How can we encourage our staff to use public transport to get to work?
- How can we encourage our staff to cycle or walk to work?
- What can we do about staff who need to use a car to get to work?
- What steps should we be taking in relation to our business travel?
- What steps should we be taking in relation to our vehicle fleet?
- How can we create an organisational culture that supports sustainable travel?
1. How can we encourage our staff to use public transport to get to work?
There are two approaches that can be taken to encourage the use of public transport – making it more attractive or convenient to use public transport, and making it less attractive or convenient to drive. Ways to achieve this could include:
- interest-free loans to buy season tickets for public transport;
- allowing staff to work flexible hours so that they are able to synchronise with public transport connections, or avoid travelling during the rush hour; and
- increasing car parking costs, particularly for single-occupancy cars.
Promoting alternatives to transport by car is one of the key themes of the GLA’s publication "Tomorrow’s Suburbs Best Practice Guide", which looks at developing travel plans as well as encouraging the use of public transport, walking and cycling.
When West Sussex County Council adopted a TravelWise initiative to reduce reliance on private cars they managed to increase the numbers travelling to work using public transport by 12%.
2. How can we encourage our staff to cycle or walk to work?
In the same way that offering interest-free season ticket loans can encourage people to use public transport, offering interest-free loans to purchase bicycles can help to persuade more people to cycle to work. It is helpful to provide secure cycle parking as well as on-site showering facilities for staff who cycle or walk to work.
With health and fitness levels declining in the UK, and incidence of obesity rising, there is no shortage of information available showing the benefits of cycling or walking as part of a daily routine. Promoting awareness of health issues can also act as an incentive to encourage people to walk or cycle.
The Department for Transport has dedicated a section of its website to the promotion of cycling as an alternative form of transport for local journeys. The site includes resources such as "Cycle to Work Scheme Implementation Guidance".
Sustrans produce a leaflet entitled "Cycle Friendly Employers’ Information Sheet" which gives more detail about how organisations can encourage cycling among their staff.
3. What can we do about staff who need to use a car to get to work?
Some staff may need to travel to work by car – for example if they do not live within easy reach of a suitable public transport network, or if the work site itself if not easily accessible by public transport. However, it is still possible to reduce environmental impact by encouraging staff to car share. Ways of doing this include:
- setting up a formal, usually web-based, system through which staff can identify possible car-sharing partners;
- offering incentives such as reduced parking rates for multiple-occupancy cars; and
- offering loans for staff wishing to purchase low carbon emission vehicles.
West Sussex County Council’s adoption of a TravelWise plan enabled them to save over 56,000 car trips per year through car sharing, reducing carbon emissions by 80 tonnes. To explore this case study in more detail follow the link above.
The way in which a car is driven can have a significant impact on its carbon emissions. For example, cars use 25% less fuel at 55mph than at 75mph, saving money as well as emissions. Explore other statistics showing how driving style can effect emissions. Better driving practices can be encouraged by driver awareness training, either face-to-face or through a booklet.
4. What steps should we be taking in relation to our business travel?
The Sustainable Procurement Action Plan sets a target of reducing carbon emissions from road vehicles used for Government administrative operations by 15% by 2010/11 relative to 2005/06 levels.
When looking at business travel, the first question to be asked should be “Is this journey really necessary?”. A telephone conference is often appropriate in place of a short meeting, and video conferencing is becoming increasingly popular. As well as reducing environmental impact, these have the advantage of reducing the amount of profitable working time lost due to travelling.
Where business travel is essential, there are generally a number of factors that organisations consider in determining the most appropriate means of transport. Typically, these are cost, convenience (i.e. how far would I have to travel to a station/airport) and journey time. Alongside these, environmental impact should be considered.
There are a variety of tools that enable users to calculate carbon emissions from different types of transport. For example, the Carbon Neutral Company provides online calculators that enable users to calculate emissions from cars and trains and aeroplanes . Such calculators will give a value in tonnes of carbon emissions per journey. This figure should then become part of the decision-making process when determining which form of transport to take.
The Carbon Trust’s Local Authority Carbon Management Programme includes a module that enables local authorities to measure the emissions from their business travel activities and benchmark them against other similar organisations.
Organisations with more than one site around which staff regularly travel should consider setting up a shuttle service, such as that used by University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust.
Even the most environmentally-friendly organisation will inevitably be responsible for a certain amount of carbon emissions in travel. Many are now choosing to offset these emissions through one of the growing number of carbon offsetting companies. This should not be seen as an alternative to reducing emissions, but as a last resort for the residual core of emissions left once emissions have been reduced as far as possible. As environmental credentials become more important, being able to declare that your business travel is carbon neutral can boost your organisation’s reputation.
5. What steps should we be taking in relation to our vehicle fleet?
The Government’s Energy White Paper includes an average emissions target for new car fleets of 130g/km carbon dioxide for cars used for administrative purposes.
The Energy Saving Trust has produced a Top 10 Tips For Greener Fleet Management, which is a useful starting point when considering your vehicle fleet.
When investing in or replacing fleet vehicles, you should consider whether it is possible to replace cars with more environmentally-friendly modes of transport, such as bicycles. For example, the Metropolitan Police have invested in over 1,000 bicycles for their Safer Neighbourhoods Teams. As well as being more environmentally friendly, these have the advantage of helping to make the police more approachable.
When choosing which vehicles to purchase, fuel efficiency and carbon emissions should be taken account of alongside traditional considerations such as price and reliability. The DfT "Best on Carbon Dioxide Rankings" in association with What Car? gives details of the top 10 new cars with the lowest carbon dioxide missions in their class.
Once vehicles are purchased, they should be serviced regularly, as poorly maintained vehicles produce more emissions.
The Energy Saving Trust provides advice on fleet management, and for fleets with more than 50 vehicles, it provides free Green Fleet consultancy service.
6. How can we create an organisational culture that supports sustainable travel?
The culture of an organisation is a key ingredient in the success of sustainability initiatives. The policies in a travel plan are much more likely to be embraced in an organisation where staff understand the importance of sustainability and the impact that their actions can have on the organisation’s overall performance. To explore how such a culture can be created, see the Culture & behaviours module.
Are there key considerations we haven’t included? If so, please let us know.