Everyday commute
Take a look at the daily habits of your employees and regular collaborators. Encourage them to commute to work using zero-emission transport (by bicycle or on foot) or public transport (tram, underground, bus), which has low emissions per passenger. To make this easier, provide maps of cycle routes, information on transport connections and indicate the nearest stops. Consider introducing small benefits for employees, e.g. subsidies for the purchase of bicycles, partial subsidies for public transport season tickets, etc.
Cycling infrastructure
Support for commuting by bike does not require large investments. It is important to provide basic amenities: bicycle racks (preferably covered) or easily accessible bicycle storage, as well as access to showers in the building. This will encourage more people to consider cycling as a viable alternative to travelling by car or bus, especially for longer journeys or in adverse weather conditions. If possible, consider purchasing company bicycles so that your team can conveniently travel to short meetings in the city during working hours. This solution has already been successfully implemented by some institutions.
> Read more about why employers should support cycling infrastructure: Eco-barometre 2025. Have you got a company? Invest in bicycles, source: Nowy Marketing.
Business travel
Limit unnecessary business travel, especially long-distance travel. Organise smaller teams and opt for online meetings instead of physical ones. Promote train travel, especially on domestic routes. Choose other means of public transport as a second option. Car travel should be reserved for places that are difficult to reach by public transport, especially in rural areas, and for people with reduced mobility. Introduce a ‘zero domestic flights’ policy. If you need to take a flight for longer journeys, avoid connecting flights – a significant amount of emissions is associated with the take-off and landing cycle of the aircraft. Choose economy class – its emissions are 4-5 times lower than in first class (seats take up less space, thus increasing the number of passengers on board). Use airlines with newer aircraft models which emit less pollution. Try to maximise the value of such a trip – plan a longer stay, combine it with other meetings and take the opportunity to get to know the local context better. In order to effectively reduce transport-related CO₂ emissions, more and more organisations are introducing specific restrictions on air travel. Examples of regulations include: a maximum of x international flights per person per year, a limit on the total number of flights within an organisation (up to x per year), or a ban on short-haul flights if it is possible to travel by train in less than x hours.
> Many airlines offer CO₂ compensation when purchasing a ticket, but there is a lack of clarity regarding the use of these funds, and the effectiveness of these offsets is increasingly being questioned. Read more: Carbon Offsets Used by Major Airlines Based on Flawed System, Warn Experts, source: The Guardian.
> Be inspired by an interesting example – as an incentive to use green transport, institutions can offer additional paid time off for employees who want to choose low-carbon travel instead of flying when planning their holidays: Climate Perks.
Carpooling
One of the basic principles of sustainable transport is to limit solo car journeys – passenger cars account for a large proportion of emissions. If travelling by car is necessary, it is worth organising carpooling to make the most of the number of seats in the vehicle. Support carpooling, i.e. connecting people travelling on the same route. Make it easier by creating a simple internal system – this could be a notice board (physical or online), a shared spreadsheet, or a group on a messaging app. This will allow the team to arrange carpooling.
> Find out why it is so important to limit solo car journeys: CO₂ emissions from cars: facts and figures (infographics), source: European Parliament.
> Read more: How using public transport and carpooling can help the environment, source: Instytut Rozwoju Myśli Ekologicznej.
> This link provides an interesting graphic showing CO₂ emissions associated with annual commuting in Warsaw, including the difference between travelling alone by car and travelling with several other people: Transport expert: Popularity of SUVs (including electric ones) is bad new for the climate, source: Nauka o klimacie.
Travel arrangements of guests and artists
As with employees, choose public transport for domestic routes and those bordering the country, with trains as the first choice and buses as the second. Organise hybrid events, allowing people from distant locations to participate without having to travel. Minimise flights and eliminate domestic flights. International travel without flights takes more time and can also generate higher costs. When working with sponsors and external institutions, make it clear that the budget includes sustainable forms of transport – transparency may encourage partners to cover the additional costs associated with green solutions.
For guests, choose accommodation close to the event venue to reduce additional transport. Encourage invitees to use public transport and offer them a public transport ticket, preferably in the form of a multi-trip card – it is convenient, low-carbon and often cheaper. If you are inviting guests from far away, plan a longer stay for them – suggest cooperation with other institutions to combine performances or meetings and make the most of their presence in your town. (see: EVENT PRODUCTION)
> More and more artists are choosing to avoid flying, opting instead for ‘slow travel’ by train. Read a blog about such a journey: London to Copenhagen: an Experiment in Slow Travel, source: Workroom Fastfamiliar. > Use the platform that helps find international rail connections: Seat61.
Read about the initiative of scientists who have given up flying or significantly reduced their air travel: No Fly Climate Sci.
Sustainable audience travel
Promote sustainable forms of travel among your audience. On your website, under the ‘Getting here’ tab, indicate cycling, walking and public transport as recommended for environmental reasons. Add maps of cycle paths, walking times from important locations, and indicate public transport stops, underground lines, trams and buses. Provide information about available facilities, such as secure bicycle parking, rest areas and cafés. Consider small benefits for low-carbon travellers, such as discounts or a free drink. In smaller towns, it is worth adjusting event times to local transport timetables. If public transport is insufficient to reduce the number of cars, provide a carpooling platform, links to websites such as BlaBlaCar, or organise bus transport.
For large events, emissions related to audience travel can account for more than half of the total carbon footprint, so it is worth collecting transport data at the registration or ticket purchase stage. It is not about precise data, but about obtaining a general picture that will help to better plan sustainable solutions. Even simple methods, such as short surveys or postcode analysis, can provide valuable information. Key data that will help to refine the picture include: means of transport, distance travelled and number of people travelling together.
> See how a museum located away from main routes encourages visitors to travel without a car: It’s Easy to Vist the Cateran Museum!, source: Cateran Ecomuseum.
> Read about the campaign accompanying one band’s tour, which succeeded in reducing the environmental impact of audience travel: Ticket to Ride: Sustainable Audience Travel for Major Events, source: Vision for Sustainable Events.
> Check out an example of a carpooling tool for people attending a large event: Plan Your Trip, source: Festival d’Avignon.
Logistics and deliveries
Consider the environmental impact of deliveries as early as the order planning and subcontractor cooperation stage. Two tips are key here: minimise the number of journeys (shorten the supply chain) and, where possible, work with local producers. Remember the ‘reuse’ principle, which will help reduce new purchases and transport. For any items you need to get, instead of transporting them from far away, first check what can be ordered locally. Avoid single shipments – try to combine them and group orders into one shipment. For small local deliveries which require fast delivery, order bicycle couriers. This will not only reduce emissions, but also the risk of delays and excess costs. (see: PRODUCTION: MATERIALS)
