Travel

The way in which staff, volunteers and visitors travel to and from your organisation can have a significant impact on the environment, society and your finances.

In the UK transport is responsible for 25% of CO2 emissions, with road transport accounting for around three quarters of this (source: Transport Research Laboratory 2008, www.trl.co.uk). Energy consumption in transport has doubled since 1970 and so there are great opportunities for transport initiatives to make a substantial contribution to reducing the overall environmental impact of your organisation and saving you money.

As well as the environmental and financial impacts of road transport, the increasing reliance on the car has meant that there are social consequences too. In the UK on average we spend a staggering five weeks a year commuting. If one third of all short car journeys were made by bike, national heart disease rates would fall by 5-10% with a half hour bike ride burning on average 150 calories (source:www.bbc.co.uk/bloom)

We all need to take positive steps to reduce the number of unnecessary car journeys we take and look to alternative transport options - for our health, finances and planet. The Sustaining Change Programme will help you identify aspects of your organisation's travelling habits that could be improved. The programme will help you to produce a travel plan, which will outline a number of measures you could implement such as: car sharing schemes; creating or improving cycling facilities; highlighting public transportation options; flexible-working practices; remote access or video conferencing.