Firms urged to change commuter habits

Companies should do more to make sure their workers adopt greener travel habits, a new report has urged.

The Confederation BritishIndustry(CBI)saysmaking sure journeys by commuters produce less carbon will be vital if the country is to hit netzero targets.

The CBI says companies should take more responsibility for cutting their employees' emissions, pointing out that – before the coronavirus crisis - commuter journeys accounted for 15% of all trips and 20% of total travel distance in the UK.

It says that emissions caused by commuting will need to be radically reduced for the country to achieve its environmental ambitions.

A report by the CBI and KPMG suggested firms should look at encouraging – and incentivising - public transport use and promote the provision of electric vehicle charging infrastructure.

CBI chief UK policy director Matthew Fell said: "If the UK is to meet its obligations to reach net-zero emissions by 2050, then the decarbonisation of commuting will be vital.

"However, this will require not only significant public and private investment in infrastructure and technology, but in will also need a change in business and employee behaviours to match.

"A key change will be for businesses to now take greater responsibility for the way their employees get to and from work."

Richard Threlfall, of KPMG, added: "As Covid-19 restrictions start to ease, employees are reconsidering where they work and how they commute, giving employers a unique window of opportunity to reduce the impact of these journeys on the environment."