Giving Compass' Take:
- Companies' corporate sustainability programs should encompass transportation and the impact of commuting on social and environmental outcomes.
- How can companies encourage initiatives that consider employee transportation?
- Read more about sustainable commuting.
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In recent years, we have seen a gradual progression and increased interest in sustainable business practices. For large corporations and organizations, this progression towards a more green, environmentally friendly way of doing business is known as Corporate Sustainability.
You've probably noticed the subtle changes of Corporate Sustainability as a consumer, like plastic straws being switched to paper or burgers becoming increasingly plant-based. But while environmental strategies are one of the three pillars of Corporate Sustainability, the practice is more holistic than just reducing a company's greenhouse gas emissions.
In addition to the environmental pillar (improving a business's carbon footprint) and the economic pillar (building longevity and reducing costs through sustainable ways of working), the practice of Corporate Sustainability is also aimed at improving the social dimension of operating a company. This means placing more of an emphasis on the health and wellbeing of employees.
The social aspect of Corporate Sustainability is often overlooked, and extensive measures in this area are still needed in order to achieve the dramatic shifts in our environment and society that will make a lasting impact for future generations.
Corporations have the capacity to enact real change in the standard daily practices of their employees, particularly when it comes to their daily commute.
When companies promote initiatives that encourage shared modes of transportation, such as carpooling, vanpooling, or a corporate shuttle service, those changes often have a measurable, positive impact on both the social and environmental aspects of Corporate Sustainability.
Consider your average commute to work. In urban areas of the US, the standard driver will spend the equivalent of five vacation days each year delayed in traffic (U.S. Department of Transportation). And when you factor in the number of cars on the road making the same journey with only one occupant, that's a large amount of emissions being leaked into our atmosphere. In 2019, it was reported that 29% of greenhouse gas emissions in the US came from transport, and 58% of this was attributed to light or single-occupancy vehicles (United States Environmental Protection Agency).
Read the full article about transportation for corporate sustainability at Smart Cities Dive.