Helping your team commute smarter doesn’t just benefit the environment — it’s great for your business and your people too. Encouraging alternatives to driving solo, like public transport, biking, walking, or carpooling, can save money, reduce stress, and boost productivity while also easing traffic congestion for everyone.

Check out the key actions you can take to encourage sustainable commuting at your workplace.

Everyone benefits from sustainable commuting

  • Happier, healthier employees

    Walking or cycling to work builds exercise into the day, improving physical and mental well-being. Less time stuck in traffic means lower stress and more energy to start the day right.

  • Cost savings all around

    Cutting back on fuel, parking, and car maintenance means more money in employees’ pockets. Plus, businesses can benefit from reduced demand for parking and transport-related expenses. 

  • Better focus, better work

    Less commute stress and more movement can lead to sharper thinking and better job satisfaction. Flexible commuting options can also improve work-life balance and help retain great staff.

  • Less congestion, smoother commutes

    Fewer cars on the road mean faster, more reliable travel times for everyone — whether your employees drive, bike, or take the bus. 

  • Reduced impact on the climate

    Transport makes up nearly half of New Zealand’s greenhouse gas emissions. Reducing our use of fossil-fuelled vehicles is the most impactful thing we can do to mitigate climate change. 

  • Stronger workplace culture and connections

    Carpooling and cycling groups create more opportunities for employees to connect. This can improve teamwork, engagement, and job satisfaction. 

Supporting sustainable travel choices at work

  • Subsidise public transport — Instead of providing a carpark or company car, provide the same amount of remuneration value in your employee's package and encourage a more environmentally-friendly behaviour.

  • Facilitate active commuting — People are far more likely to bike or walk if they have access to shower and storage facilities at work, and a secure place to lock up their bike.

  • Carpooling — Four co-workers in one car, rather than each driving their own? That's quartered their emissions.

Read more

Don't assume everyone wants a carpark

EECA research shows that 72% of businesses provide carparking compared to 24% who provide showers and/or lockers, and 30% who provide bike parking.1

While it may feel like too high a hurdle, if you're located near good public transport options, you may be surprised by how happy staff would be to give up sitting in traffic every day, particularly if their transport was subsidised.

Creating a workplace that supports active commuting

More and more people are choosing to get around by bike, with e-bikes making a 2-wheeled commute possible or more attractive for some. Around 75,000 e-bikes were imported to New Zealand in 2021, reflecting a surge in demand, and our research shows 51% of people would like to walk or bike more.2 

Here are a few ways to support your staff to make the switch. 

  • Secure storage — A lack of secure bike storage is one of the biggest barriers to cycle commuting, alongside not having shower/locker facilities at work. If you can't provide those yourself, try talking to other local businesses about pooling your resources. 
  • Corporate dresscodes — Another barrier to cycling is having to pack a change of clothes which then gets wrinkled before wear. Is there an opportunity to lessen the formality of your company's daywear? 
  • Bike costs — Are there corporate schemes that your business can join to reduce the cost of e-bikes or cycles for your employees? Can you subsidise safety equipment as part of your employee benefits?
  • Motivating staff — Identify champions at work who can help and encourage other staff to try car-free commuting. Think about any other incentives you could provide, or tap into people's competitive spirit with a cycling (or walking) challenge — such as the annual Aotearoa Bike Challenge(external link). 

Allow working from home

Remote work can reduce commercial real estate and operational costs, lower electricity usage, and cause less wastage. Some may choose to downsize their commercial property and require less space for parking in urban centres.

Additionally, allowing staff to work from home on occasion cuts out the emissions associated with the car commute they would have otherwise made that day. 

The carbon benefits of working from home | ANZ Thinkstep study(external link) 

Get started by understanding your team's commute

The first step to implementing a new commuting policy or incentive is to find out how your staff currently travel to work. This will let you work up alternative solutions and appropriate incentives that resonate with staff, while being commercially viable for you. 

Questions to ask your staff 

  • What mode of transport do they usually use to commute? 
  • Where do they commute from? 
  • How far is their commute and how long does it typically take? 
  • What public transport hubs are situated around them? 
  • If they currently drive, have they considered using other modes and which ones? 
  • How much does it cost them to commute over a month? 
  • What might help them make the switch? E.g. 
    • Secure bike parking 
    • Locker and shower facilities 
    • Subsidised public transport or e-bike purchasing 
    • A work-based carpooling system 
    • Working from home at least once a week 

Measuring staff commuting emissions 

If sustainable commuting is part of an emissions reduction strategy, start by establishing a baseline from which to improve.  

First, complete a staff survey to collect data on how far staff are commuting and by which modes of transport. You can then use standardised ‘emissions factors’ to calculate the CO2e (carbon dioxide equivalent emissions) produced for each kilometer traveled, for each mode of transport. For example, emissions from a private petrol car are calculated at 0.243 kg of CO2e per kilometer. 

The Ministry for the Environment publishes these emissions factors and guidance around emissions measurement and reporting (see section 7 of the guide linked below). 

There are also online emissions calculators and survey tools you can use that do the hard work for you. 

Measuring Emissions Detailed Guide(external link) 

Get started with workplace emissions measurement

Read next

View all Stories