How can we get greener travel to work?

As commutes get longer, up from an average of 35 minutes in 2003 to over an hour in 2007, our travel to work is having a serious impact on the environment. Transport (excluding aviation) accounts for 28% of UK carbon dioxide emissions.

Few of us enjoy sitting alone in a car on congested roads, so finding greener ways to get to work is as much a question of workers’ well-being as environmental benefits.

Things you can do now

• Set up a workplace bike user group to share information and lobby for better facilities if you need them.
• Raise the idea of lift-sharing. Maybe a noticeboard or facility on the intranet could help match people who would like to share transport.
• Make sure travel directions to your workplace include public transport options.
• Look at whether travel could be reduced by using phone or video conferencing.

Bigger ideas

• Encourage your employer to look at workers’ travel in a strategic way. Staff support is vital to get these kinds of plans off the ground. See the Department for Transport’s information on workplace travel planning.
• Push for better facilities, such as secure cycle parking or lockers, or a shuttle bus to a nearby station of bus stop. Make sure your employer is aware of the tax benefits they can access. See HM Revenue and Customs website for green travel tax breaks.
• Push for your employer to switch car fleets to greener vehicles e.g. smaller cars or hybrid vehicles – see the Energy Saving Trust’s information on greener fleets – and to look at policies which encourage greener transport for work, such as using public transport, cycling or walking where possible, or using the train rather than flying for shorter business trips.