Two wheels are better than four
Published August 13, 2007 at 4:01 pm · Filed under Features
Home working is often promoted as a good way for businesses to reduce their carbon footprint, but according to separate surveys by Oxford University and WSP Environmental reported in last month’s issue of Business Info (Issue 83, page 3), home working might not be the win:win situation it is claimed to be.
WSP Environmental argues that home workers may actually have a higher carbon footprint than office-based colleagues when you take into account the effects of central heating in the winter.
Its research shows that a typical home worker who turns on the central heating during office hours is responsible for 2.38 tonnes of carbon emissions each year, compared to 1.68 tonnes produced by someone who travels to the office each day.
On the plus side, WSP Environmental suggests that the carbon footprint of a home worker can be reduced to as little as 0.9 tonnes by implementing controls that limit heating to one room and not the whole house.
A simpler and more reliable solution might be to encourage more people to cycle to work. Cycling organisation CTC (http://www.ctc.org.uk/) has calculated that if the four million people who currently use cars to drive less than three miles to work cycled instead, they would save 374kg of CO2 emissions.
However it is not just a question of encouraging people to get out of their cars and onto a bicycle. Serviced office provider MWB Business Exchange argues that employers need to make things easier for staff who choose to cycle.
A survey conducted by YouGov on its behalf found that just one in 10 (11%) businesses provides secure bike areas for their employees, though almost one third (29%) do provide on-site showers.
There are also health and safety objections to cycling. As The Times reported on July 6, engineering firm Jacobs has banned staff from using bicycles or motorcycles on company business on safety grounds. This is despite the company’s contract with Transport for London, which is trying to encourage greater bicycle use.
Another impediment is lack of confidence among would-be cyclists. A number of organisations exist to help cyclists get back onto the road, including BikeBudi (http://www.bikebudi.com/), a free initiative from car-sharing organisation Liftshare that connects people travelling in the same direction so that they can cycle in together. Liftshare hopes that novices will gain confidence by sharing a journey with more experienced cyclists.
Londoners who would like to get back into the cycling habit may be interested in the Hovis London Freewheel, which is taking place on Sunday September 23. A 14-kilometre Central London route will be made traffic-free so that cyclists of every age and ability can take to the streets.
The initiative is part of Transport for London’s campaign to increase bicycle use in the capital: it estimates that 40% of Londoners have access to a bike, but only 5% use one regularly. Interested Londoners must register for the event in advance at http://www.londonfreewheel.com/
Google is giving a free Raleigh bicycle to every permanent employee who wants one. The bikes will help employees in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) to stay fit and reduce the environmental impact of their journey to work.
