How sustainable travel needs to form part of a CSR policy

Green transport is becoming big business. Earlier this year the UK saw Green Transport Week, and in November, a show entirely dedicated to the subject is running over 3 days.

For global companies with thousands of employees, or those whose business depends on running a fleet of vehicles greening their transport will be an integral part of their CSR strategy.

The London-based conference and show, Eco2 Transport, is bringing together suppliers of 'green transport' (including leasing and insurance companies, electric vehicle suppliers, and climate change consultancies). That there is enough supply and demand in this market to hold a show on this scale is impressive. It provides an opportunity for CSR consultants and Heads of CSR to see what is out there in the supply chain.

In the UK, CO2 emissions from transport have gone up since 2000, according to a report from the Transport Select Committee on the Department of Transport's performance this year. Emissions are also unlikely to reduce before 2020, so the need to take action is increasingly important. Government plans to build 25 light rail lines by this year have not materialised. Transport represents more than a fifth of the UK's CO2 emissions (21 per cent) so it presents a huge challenge from a climate change perspective.

From a CSR point of view, a switch to greener transport should hopefully be an easy sell to Finance Directors and company Boards because it can help cut costs. The greenest option for local travel is by foot or by bike (see my earlier blog on CSR programmes and the workforce), which is also the cheapest.

Companies' CSR strategies targeting transport use need to look at how much the company promotes these forms of transport. For slightly longer trips, organisations need to examine the sustainability of their transport provider (does their taxi firm use Prius cars, or other environmentally-friendly models, for example). Finally, for overseas or distance travel which requires taking a plane, it is always asking if the journey is really necessary. Of course face-to-face meetings cannot be completely eliminated, but video-conferencing provides a cost-effective alternative.

The caveat with green transport, as with anything labelled 'green', is the potential for greenwash. New technologies are bringing eco-friendly forms of transport into the mainstream. However, beware the supplier whose name is green but whose nature may be anything but. Events such as Eco2 Transport provide opportunities to question suppliers face to face about the evidence behind the rhetoric. If suppliers can't answer your questions, or seem vague on the detail, the chances are that's because there is no substance to their claims.

Finally, employees can be a powerful force for change in getting companies to adopt sustainable transport as part of their CSR strategies and examining what is put forward to them. If you're thinking of introducing a new supplier, poll your employees and ask them to analyse the supplier's claims. If you are an employee working at a company where the transport policies don't come up to par, make suggestions on what they could do differently. We have the options now to embrace sustainable travel and responsible companies should be doing just that.

Photo credit: Frank Herbert