Developing a green travel strategy
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In the second of a series of articles about running an environmentally-friendly firm, Tom Whitney finds out how a green travel strategy can cut costs and generate goodwill with staff and customers
According to the Energy Savings Trust (EST), just one in five firms has considered the impact of work-related travel on the environment. Yet transport is one of the biggest contributors to the carbon emissions generated by small businesses.
A green travel strategy can significantly reduce your carbon footprint. It can also cut your fuel costs, generate goodwill with staff and give potential customers another reason to buy from you rather than your less environmentally-minded competitors. "Rising fuel costs have put workplace travel in the spotlight and employee demands for greener policies have made it a crucial issue," says EST spokesman Nigel Underdown. "Helping staff with their travel planning can improve the health and morale of your workforce and being seen to be green can boost your reputation as a business." Commuting Reducing the number of car journeys made by staff to and from work will cut employee travel costs and foster goodwill in the workplace. Start by making it easy for staff to commute by bike: provide a place to wash, change and store bicycles and consider registering with the Cyclescheme, the Government initiative to encourage people to cycle to work. Participating in the scheme enables you to buy a bike, reclaim the VAT, then sell it to an employee via monthly deductions from their paypacket. "Often staff won't consider cycling unless it's presented to them as an easy option or they're told about the scheme," says Alex Goodwin, EST project manager for fleet advice. "It's the same for suggesting they use public transport. You can take simple steps to help staff by getting timetables to hand out." If appropriate, and if you have the means, offering interest-free season ticket loans will cut staff travel costs. Alternatively, set up a car-sharing scheme by providing a form for employees to note their travel details and arrange shared journeys. This will also cut staff travel expenses through shared petrol costs. Finally, reduce unnecessary commuting by allowing employees to work from home. "This can cut your overheads as you may end up needing less office space," explains Goodwin. "Flexible working can also help as staff can commute outside the rush hour." Business travel Trains and buses have lower emissions per passenger than cars, so encourage staff to use public transport for business travel. If you use work vehicles as a matter of course, buy low-emissions models when you next update. You can offset the investment with green tax breaks, your fuel costs are likely to go down and you can stress your green credentials in your marketing. Alternative fuel and dual-fuel vehicles are also exempt from charges in the London Congestion Charge zone, and other cities may follow suit in time. "By assessing the environmental impact of company vehicles, employers can save up to 15 per cent on fuel costs each year," stresses Underdown. "A lot of firms think they can't afford to improve their performance on environmental issues," he concludes. "My view is that they can't afford not to - every business has to respond to consumer concerns in this area."
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