Sustrans says it helped UK businesses log 1.8million miles by bike or on foot last year through the organisation’s ‘workplace challenge’ and is following the success with a wider scheme. Sustrans notes that along with CO2 and financial savings, going car-free also improves the fitness, happiness and productivity of staff.

23 February 2015 – In 2014 Sustrans helped staff in hundreds of organisations in the UK to travel more sustainably, benefiting staff health, reducing transport costs and carbon emissions.

1.8million miles within 210,329 trips were logged by businesses competing in our workplace challenge, saving over:

- 194,954Kg of CO2

- £239,674 in transport costs

- 37,781,749 calories burnt

Sustrans achieves this change through an innovative website, creating a competitive online environment where businesses can join and log journeys made by staff on bike or by foot as opposed to driving for the travel they need to make.

In a drive to increase sustainability, reduce travel costs and improve employee physical health, hundreds of businesses including Unilever and the Royal Bank of Scotland worked with Sustrans last year.

Victoria Barby, Sustainability Manager for the Royal Bank of Scotland commented: “Working with Sustrans has proven a real success. We found that staff uploaded images and comments, as well as starting to interact with new colleagues that they might not have done otherwise.’

“If you are looking for something to help you encourage staff to consider alternative and sustainable modes of transport, or are focused on having more active staff, the Sustrans challenge is a worthwhile tool to help you.”

Building on this success, Sustrans is launching a UK wide sustainable travel challenge for businesses today – the BIG Commuter Challenge.

Focused on inspiring and motivating people to change the way they move to or for work, participants will have individual profile pages where they can set targets, access a virtual journey, and see their savings in miles, calories, carbon and cost logged. To keep participants motivated and engaged, on-going prizes and competitions as well as other support will help maintain focus.

Ruth McNab, Sustrans corporate partnership manager, commented: “Research shows that the more physically active your staff are, the happier they are, and the more productive they can be; added to reduced transport costs and giving the environment a helping hand this programme really is a no brainer for businesses of all sizes.”

“With Siemens already signed up to the programme the new nationwide challenge will be bigger and better than ever. I hope to see plenty of new companies join the hundreds that have already seen the benefits.”

For further information, please visit www.sustrans.org.uk