Sustainable mobility for employees: 5 steps that make 2024 a success

Employee mobility has a major impact on the environment and the company. Calculations show that 6 per cent of global CO2 emissions can be attributed to employees' daily commute and that commuting can account for up to 96 per cent of an employee's work-related emissions. This means that employee mobility has a huge potential for CO2 savings.

Companies have a key role to play in the mobility transition. With the right incentives, they can encourage employees to switch to sustainable mobility. What's more, those who travel to work in a climate-friendly way may also change their behaviour in their private lives, leading to further reductions in emissions.

Here are 5 steps on how this can be achieved in 2024.

#1: Working from home and flexible working hours

#2: Cycle to work

#3: Public transport

#4: Electromobility

#5: Mobility budget

#1: Working from home and flexible working hours

Employees who work from home don't have to travel to work in the first place and therefore completely save on the CO2 emissions caused by commuting. They also save valuable time that they would otherwise spend in traffic.

Companies where working from home is possible can offer their employees flexible working hours and the opportunity to work from home in order to quickly and easily save a lot of emissions.

#2: Cycle to work scheme

Alongside walking, cycling is considered the most environmentally friendly form of transport. In addition, many employees live within 10 kilometres of their workplace. This is a distance that can easily be travelled by bike. Under 5 km, the bicycle is even faster than the car.

This means that companies have many opportunities to promote cycling to work with the right measures.

For example: parking spaces and changing rooms or showers make cycling an attractive and independent mode of transport for employees, especially in cities. Employees no longer need to worry about finding a secure parking space for their own bike on site or getting to the office in a sweat. 

In addition to setting up the optimum conditions to make cycling to work attractive, employers can offer their employees a company bike through leasing. Company bike leasing offers many advantages for both employers and employees.

Not only can employees get to work emission-free and keep fit at the same time, but they also save money with a company bike lease compared to buying a bike outright. In addition, there are no petrol costs or public transport ticket costs. By offering company bike leasing, employers can not only improve their carbon footprint, but also their attractiveness as a modern employer and thus position themselves as a sustainable company.

#3: Public transport

Deutschlandticket, Jobticket or Bahncard: there are many ways in which companies can promote the use of public transport by their employees. Especially with the Deutschlandticket - as a job ticket - companies have never had it easier than at present. And the figures show that many companies have realised this. Half of the large German companies already use the Deutschlandticket.

#4: Electromobility

The mobility of the future is electric: as an alternative to company cars, companies can choose an e-car sharing fleet and thus make their vehicle fleet greener. This is how companies can make their fleet fit for the future.

Companies that are still unsure about purchasing electric cars also have other options for trying out new electric models for their fleet. In addition to classic vehicle leasing, car subscriptions are becoming increasingly popular as an alternative for fleets. The advantages of car subscriptions compared to leasing: subscriptions have shorter and more flexible terms and attractive all-inclusive packages from providers save fleet managers time and resources for fleet management. 

#5: Mobility budget

Hybrid working is changing the office. This also has an impact on employee mobility. The majority of people have changed their mobility behaviour in recent years. People are increasingly favouring different means of transport instead of just one. In order to do justice to this, flexible offers are needed, also on the part of companies.

A flexible mobility budget gives employees the opportunity to choose their mode of transport to suit their situation. This is because the mobility budget offers an advantage over flat-rate mobility benefits such as a company car or a job ticket: employees do not have to commit to one option, but can decide for themselves whether to spend their mobility budget on bus and train, car sharing, taxis or rental bikes.

For those who often work from home and no longer come into the office regularly, having their own car or a company car is no longer particularly attractive. A mobility budget provides a flexible and needs-based alternative.

Stefan Wendering
Stefan is a freelance writer and editor at NAVIT. Previously, he worked for startups and in the mobility cosmos. He is an expert in urban and sustainable mobility, employee benefits and new work. Besides blog content, he also creates marketing materials, taglines and content for websites and case studies.

Employee mobility has a major impact on the environment and the company. Calculations show that 6 per cent of global CO2 emissions can be attributed to employees' daily commute and that commuting can account for up to 96 per cent of an employee's work-related emissions. This means that employee mobility has a huge potential for CO2 savings.

Companies have a key role to play in the mobility transition. With the right incentives, they can encourage employees to switch to sustainable mobility. What's more, those who travel to work in a climate-friendly way may also change their behaviour in their private lives, leading to further reductions in emissions.

Here are 5 steps on how this can be achieved in 2024.

#1: Working from home and flexible working hours

#2: Cycle to work

#3: Public transport

#4: Electromobility

#5: Mobility budget

#1: Working from home and flexible working hours

Employees who work from home don't have to travel to work in the first place and therefore completely save on the CO2 emissions caused by commuting. They also save valuable time that they would otherwise spend in traffic.

Companies where working from home is possible can offer their employees flexible working hours and the opportunity to work from home in order to quickly and easily save a lot of emissions.

#2: Cycle to work scheme

Alongside walking, cycling is considered the most environmentally friendly form of transport. In addition, many employees live within 10 kilometres of their workplace. This is a distance that can easily be travelled by bike. Under 5 km, the bicycle is even faster than the car.

This means that companies have many opportunities to promote cycling to work with the right measures.

For example: parking spaces and changing rooms or showers make cycling an attractive and independent mode of transport for employees, especially in cities. Employees no longer need to worry about finding a secure parking space for their own bike on site or getting to the office in a sweat. 

In addition to setting up the optimum conditions to make cycling to work attractive, employers can offer their employees a company bike through leasing. Company bike leasing offers many advantages for both employers and employees.

Not only can employees get to work emission-free and keep fit at the same time, but they also save money with a company bike lease compared to buying a bike outright. In addition, there are no petrol costs or public transport ticket costs. By offering company bike leasing, employers can not only improve their carbon footprint, but also their attractiveness as a modern employer and thus position themselves as a sustainable company.

#3: Public transport

Deutschlandticket, Jobticket or Bahncard: there are many ways in which companies can promote the use of public transport by their employees. Especially with the Deutschlandticket - as a job ticket - companies have never had it easier than at present. And the figures show that many companies have realised this. Half of the large German companies already use the Deutschlandticket.

#4: Electromobility

The mobility of the future is electric: as an alternative to company cars, companies can choose an e-car sharing fleet and thus make their vehicle fleet greener. This is how companies can make their fleet fit for the future.

Companies that are still unsure about purchasing electric cars also have other options for trying out new electric models for their fleet. In addition to classic vehicle leasing, car subscriptions are becoming increasingly popular as an alternative for fleets. The advantages of car subscriptions compared to leasing: subscriptions have shorter and more flexible terms and attractive all-inclusive packages from providers save fleet managers time and resources for fleet management. 

#5: Mobility budget

Hybrid working is changing the office. This also has an impact on employee mobility. The majority of people have changed their mobility behaviour in recent years. People are increasingly favouring different means of transport instead of just one. In order to do justice to this, flexible offers are needed, also on the part of companies.

A flexible mobility budget gives employees the opportunity to choose their mode of transport to suit their situation. This is because the mobility budget offers an advantage over flat-rate mobility benefits such as a company car or a job ticket: employees do not have to commit to one option, but can decide for themselves whether to spend their mobility budget on bus and train, car sharing, taxis or rental bikes.

For those who often work from home and no longer come into the office regularly, having their own car or a company car is no longer particularly attractive. A mobility budget provides a flexible and needs-based alternative.