ESG Metric: GHG Scope 3 emissions
Ease of implementation: Hard
Suitable for: All companies
Suggested functional lead: HR, Logistics manager
Summary
Promoting public transportation can significantly reduce your in-work travel and decrease your carbon emissions. We suggest identifying and promoting railway and bus services over personal vehicles or flights. Ensure you have an effective method for reimbursement set up, minimising any downsides of travelling via public transport. When onboarding new employees, outline the public transport initiative to promote a changing culture of in-work travel methods. If feasible, set up incentives to promote the use of public transport such as offering a free week trial of using public transportation or specifically allocating shift to work with public transport schedules.
Background Information
The use of public transportation reduces fuel dependency, improves air quality, reduces congestion, and improves health and wellbeing. In the US, public transport saves 37 million metric tonnes of CO2 annually, which equates to the electricity generated in 4.9 million homes1. There is therefore large potential for carbon reduction when considering in–work travel emissions. On average, traveling by train instead of car for a medium-length journey cuts emissions by approximately 80%, while traveling by train instead of a domestic flight reduces emissions by approximately 84%. However, these figures highly depend on the distance travelled by the vehicles. Nevertheless, UK government departments, BEIS and DEFRA, state that rail travel is at least 50% greener than economy class air travel, with some trains reducing emissions by 85%-90%2. For example, driving from London to Edinburgh is approximately 500km, which would emit 100kg CO2eq if travelling by car. By plane, this would increase to 128kg CO2eq. However, by train one would reduce emissions by 80% to only 21kg CO2eq.
Implementation Steps
Identify and promote rail and bus services
Identify the most common in-work travel routes and investigate the best routes via public transport. Assess the public transport routes close to your facility and ensure it is convenient to reach. For short distances, share public transport options through leaflets, emails or notice boards so the new transport links are easily accessible. Promote personal journey planning websites for more specific or niche journeys such as Trainline, which allow for simple train and bus bookings. It also outlines the emissions saved when travelling with rail or bus as opposed to a car.
Set up appropriate reimbursing method
If your employees are paying for their public transportation personally and then getting reimbursed, ensure you have an efficient reimbursing system set up. Consider reimbursing parking fees close to railway stations as well. Collaborate with the finance department to set up a new method or adapt an existing one.
Inform new staff of public transport during in-work travel
During the induction process or onboarding, inform new employees of the changing company culture to use public transportation during in work travel.
Identify any gaps in public transport networks
Identify if there are any remote areas or sites that your employees visit. Bridge this gap with other transportation options such as carsharing.
Identify other incentives
To maximise the use of public transportation, identify any other incentives to promote public transportation use such as offering a free weekly trial to travel with public transport for employees to use both at work and personally. You may want to consider structuring your employees’ shifts or working hours based on bus or rail times as an incentive as well.