Encoraging green mobility in your company: our 10 guidelines!
Recently, we were invited to the Grand Prix for Eco-Mobility awards ceremony organized by TGV-INTERCITÉS!
During this evening, we discovered the winners of this second edition. These companies were all rewarded for their various initiatives to encourage their employees and collaborators to prioritize eco-friendly transportation.
Today, in the face of the climate emergency, companies play a crucial role in promoting sustainable practices. Encouraging low-carbon modes of transport such as cycling, trains, walking, and public transit can significantly impact reducing greenhouse gas emissions and improving employees' quality of life.
If you too want to join the ranks of companies promoting these green mobility practices, here are the 10 actions you should follow for a low-carbon company!
1. Install Showers and Changing Rooms
No, it's not a joke! The first step to encouraging green mobility is to provide the necessary infrastructure: you can install secure bike parking, but also showers and changing rooms for those who come by bike or on foot! After all, you shouldn't do things only half-way, and your employees will suddenly feel more motivated on their way to work.
2. Provide Financial Assistance and Subsidies
To help your employees go green, you'll need to offer financial incentives for employees who use sustainable means of transport. This can take the form of bonuses, reimbursements for public transport costs, or subsidies for the purchase of electric bikes or scooters. These economic advantages can be a powerful driver for change. CGI France (ecomobility award winner for companies with over 2,000 employees), for example, reimburses 100% of public transport subscriptions, including the Carte Liberté for commuting to and from work!
3. Facilitate Long-Distance Train Travel
Make train travel compulsory for journeys of less than 4 hours. A good example is the company RH Performance (winner of the “Coup de Coeur Entreprise” award) they prioritize the train for long distances. Air travel is banned for trips that can be done by train or are under 6 hours, and employees can propose solutions to reduce their footprint in the company's CSR policy!
4. Promote Carpooling
Set up an internal platform where employees can organize shared rides. This reduces the number of cars on the road and helps build bonds between colleagues. What's more, since January 1, 2023, the French government has introduced a carpooling bonus of 100 euros, so why not talk to your teams about it? :)
5. Organize awareness-raising events and challenges
Very important to convince your employees in a good mood and in a gentle way! Inform them about the benefits of soft mobility for health, the environment and the economy. Awareness campaigns can include workshops, seminars, and special events. For example, Tictac Trip (eco-mobility award winner for leisure travel agency) is launching a "no plane" challenge to encourage employees not to fly for a year! Cool, right?
6. Provide Time Credits for Exemplary Employees
Like the company C-Way (ecomobility award winner for companies with fewer than 2,000 employees), you can give time credits (reduced working hours) to employees who regularly opt for green mobility (train, bike, walk). For example, one hour's walking could be converted into 10 extra minutes of leave. This idea can also be extended to personal life. For instance, if your employees decide to take the train for their skiing vacation, they can have an extra day off! Amplitude Business Travel (winner of the ecomobility award for business travel agencies), for example, uses an annual carbon credit quota with rewards!
7. Use Electric Company Cars
Gradually change your car fleet to 100% electric, while continuing to encourage commuting by train and bicycle. The company RH Performance (Coup de Cœur Entreprise award winner), for example, favors electric vehicles for journeys of over 5 km if public transport is really not an option. You could also reimburse only the costs related to green taxis and rideshares. Try to agree on these ideas as soon as you recruit your employees, to avoid any confusion.
8. Create Decentralized Workspaces and Flexible Hours
Offering remote working options or decentralized coworking spaces to reduce the need for long daily commutes is a great idea (thanks Covid)! Not only does this initiative reduce carbon footprints, it also improves work-life balance.
Flexible schedules also help avoid rush hours and help employees keep smiling 🙂
9. Provide FREE Safety Equipment
You can distribute safety equipment such as helmets, reflective vests and bike lights to employees free of charge. This shows that you care about their safety and encourage the use of bicycles. You can even follow this up with bike safety training and/or bike repair workshops.
10. Offer Gentle Mobility Routes
Often, the barriers to adopting cycling or public transport for everyday journeys are psychological. It usually only takes trying once or twice to be convinced. Today, however, a number of tools are available to help you find the safest or most pleasant route. For example, the Geovelo app prioritizes bike paths for route calculation, or our platform or of course hourrail.voyage, which lists over 300 flight-free itineraries for long business trips to destinations like Stockholm, Prague or even Casablanca !
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And here's a happy team! :)
We've learned a lot from these ideas, and are delighted to discover companies that are taking action. We hope that with these 10 recommendations for green mobility in the workplace, you'll have all the useful and fun tools you need to encourage your employees to use these modes of transport. We also understand that the adoption of green mobility within a company is not limited to isolated measures, but is part of a global vision of sustainable development. It's a real philosophy that needs to be implemented with employees. By providing the necessary infrastructure, offering incentives, and fostering a corporate culture focused on sustainability, you can not only reduce your organization's carbon footprint, but also improve your employees' quality of life... And a good atmosphere at work is priceless!
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