Greener Business - Transport

Transport accounts for 25% of the carbon dioxide produced in the UK. While reducing carbon dioxide produced by transport can be more of a challenge for businesses there are still simple steps that can be taken by business and employees.

What businesses can do

Air travel

Take fewer flights if possible
Avoid short-haul flights where there are alternatives
If you must fly, consider offsetting your carbon dioxide emissions (external link)

However, planting trees is only a temporary fix and carbon dioxide burnt from fossil fuels is released permanently.

Car travel

Avoid car travel and use high technology alternatives

It may be possible for businesses to use high technology solution to avoid travel. This will help reduce fuel costs and can save time. For example using video conferencing and web cams can allow colleagues and clients to ‘meet’ despite different geographical locations and many solutions allow collaborative working on documents. There are a number options from simple web cams to more specialised solutions for example AuDeo (external link)

Decrease the frequency of car journeys

Where possible plan ahead so you are not driving unnecessarily.

Try to travel when there is less traffic on the road

This will help to use less fuel

When buying a new car check consumption figures and train employees on driving techniques to lower fuel consumption

Better fuel consumption (external link) will help reduce fuels costs, and driving techniques can also help to lower fuel use, for example watching revs, driving smoothly and planning ahead, and keeping tyres inflated to the correct pressure.

Car sharing (external link) with colleagues will help share fuel costs and help the environment.

Alternatives

Where possible walk or cycle (external link)

Most journeys taken are very short so walking or cycling can often replace the car, it is healthier and helps reduce emissions (external link)

Use public transport

Train (external link) is the most fuel-efficient form of public transport, but bus is good too. Travelling by bus will also help to reduce the need for parking spaces.

Traveline (external link) is a web based service that can calculate the best route between points using public transport.

Examples of what Wealden is doing

Refuse vehicles exceed European standards on emissions
Refuse rounds are shortly due to be rescheduled

This will ensure that rounds are setup for maximum efficiency reducing emissions and saving fuel costs.

Wealden Car Lease Scheme for Officers limited by carbon dioxide emissions

The Wealden Car Lease Scheme is now limited by carbon dioxide emission rather than engine size, encouraging users to choose models with less carbon dioxide emissions.

Examined the use of biofuels in the municipal fleet

Currently only a 5% mix of biofuel (fuel manufactures from commercially grown crops such as wheat, oil seed rape or sugar beet) would operate in the existing fleet and the conversion would outweigh the cost and environmental benefits. This is a developing area of technology at this may change, or other alternatives may become viable.