Scope 3 emissions and employee commuting are directly linked. Organizations seeking to reduce the environmental impacts of their activities should familiarize themselves with the concept of Scope 3 emissions and strategies for reducing them.
What are Scope 3 emissions?
Scope 3 emissions are part of a classification system developed by the Greenhouse Gas Protocol (GHG Protocol). The GHG Protocol system divides harmful emissions into three distinct types, called scopes, according to their nature and origins:
- Scope 1 emissions are direct emissions produced by an organization and its activities. By definition, they come from sources that the organization directly controls or owns. Examples include on-site power generation and the emissions generated by a company’s vehicle fleet when it is used for regular business activities.
- Scope 2 emissions are indirect emissions resulting from the organization’s purchase of electricity, heating or cooling fuels, and other energy-use activities.
- Scope 3 emissions are also indirect emissions, but they arise from upstream or downstream activities associated with the business. Examples include emissions from business travel, assets and investments, product distribution, and, of course, employee commuting.
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The following graphic breaks each of these concepts down in further detail:
Scope 3 emissions and employee commuting are linked by their upstream relationship. Notably, these emissions include more than just carbon. While carbon is the most common GHG in terms of emission volumes, it is only one of several harmful greenhouse gasses.
Others include:
- Methane (CH4)
- Nitrous oxide (N2O)
- Sulfur hexafluoride (SF6)
- Nitrogen trifluoride (NF3)
Of these other GHGs, methane and nitrous oxide are considered particularly problematic. Their respective abilities to trap solar heat in the Earth’s atmosphere exceed those of carbon by a wide margin. Methane is about 27-30 times more powerful at trapping heat than carbon, while nitrous oxide contributes to global warming at a clip about 273 times that of carbon.
Gasoline-powered automobiles represent one of the world’s largest and most impactful emitters of CO2, CH4, and N2O. As such, organizations seeking to reduce their GHG emissions should take strong steps toward minimizing their use by commuters.
Understanding the relationship between Scope 3 emissions and employee commuting
Scope 3 emissions and employee commuting have a problematic relationship because of the sheer volume of people reliant on solo driving. According to a 2022 U.S. Census Bureau survey, 68.7% of U.S. commuters regularly drive alone to and from work. In some European Union member states, commuting accounts for nearly half of all kilometers logged by drivers each day.
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Meanwhile, alternative modes of transportation continue to have relatively low adoption rates. Carpooling and public transportation accounted for just 8.6% and 3.1% of U.S. commuter modes in 2022, respectively. European commuters generally make better use of public transit, but actual adoption rates vary dramatically and tend to plummet outside of major urban centers.
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The damage caused by Scope 3 emissions and employee commuting worsens when you compare the respective environmental impacts of solo driving and its alternatives. The following table summarizes per-kilometer rates of carbon emissions associated with a dozen widely used modes of transportation:
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Given the relatively favorable emissions profiles of smart alternatives to driving, employers can accelerate their efforts to mitigate their environmental footprints by shifting commuters towards these modes.
Strategies to reduce Scope 3 emissions from employee commuting
Employers can combine multiple strategies to reduce both the volume and rate of Scope 3 emissions from employee commuting. Transportation demand management (TDM) professionals recommend including these approaches in your organizational action plan:
Educate commuters and raise awareness
Commuters often become more motivated to change their habits when they’re educated about the direct environmental impacts of their transportation choices. Employers can build awareness campaigns based on factual data from neutral sources to help pitch the need to change to their commuter bases.Â
Form collaborative partnerships
Local public transportation agencies, government organizations, and nonprofit stakeholder and environmental activism groups can be helpful allies in your bid to reduce your carbon footprint. These groups can connect employers with tools and resources that open up access to a whole host of locally available alternatives. Forming partnerships with them can accelerate your efforts to reduce Scope 3 emissions from employee commuting.
Offer telecommuting and flexible scheduling
Remote working is one of the most effective ways to reduce Scope 3 emissions from employee commuting. Employees also love working from home, and businesses that support telecommuting stand better chances of attracting and retaining top talent. This, in turn, delivers important cost savings and competitive advantages.Â
Flexible scheduling can make alternatives like public transportation, biking, and walking more appealing. One possible approach is to start and end the work day outside of peak hours. Buses, subways, and city streets are less crowded and have less traffic during off-peak times, which makes them more practical.
Create incentives and rewards
Incentive and rewards programs give commuters added impetus to participate in commuter programs. Examples include:
- Points programs that allow commuters to earn points every time they log an alternative commute, and to redeem those points for valuable prizes
- Team-based commuter challenges that gamify alternative commuting
- Offer direct cash incentives to commuters who use qualified alternatives to solo driving, such as carpooling, public transit, and active commuting
The more appealing your incentives and rewards, the stronger your commuters’ motivation to participate will be.
Strengthen organizational support for alternative commuting
Employers can do many things to make alternative commuting more accessible and practical for their people teams:
- Offer free or subsidized monthly passes to local public transit and commuter services
- Install secure bike lock-ups, lockers, and showers for active commuters
- Consider voluntary programs for rescinding parking privileges in exchange for cash payments
Organizational leaders can also set a good example by ditching the solo drive themselves. Doing so can inspire change and signal a strong commitment to building a more eco-conscious organizational culture.
Launch your Pave Commute-powered commuter program with just a few clicks
Reducing Scope 3 emissions from employee commuting can be an effective piece of an organization-wide effort to cut GHG impacts. GHG reduction programs also reinforce organizational branding efforts while engaging stakeholders and advancing corporate responsibility initiatives.
The award-winning Pave Commute app provides complete support for commuter alternatives to solo driving. The app connects commuters with a comprehensive selection of locally available transportation options, including carpools, public transportation, active commuting, and more.Â
Clients can launch Pave Commute in mere minutes, and with just a few clicks. Pave Commute also offers budget-friendly pricing plans accessible to organizations of all sizes. Start your free trial today, or contact Pave Commute to learn more.
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