Over three-quarters of UK employees think their commute has a good ecological footprint

Over three-quarters (78%) of UK employees think their commute has a good ecological footprint, according to the latest findings from SD Worx.

Compared to the other countries surveyed, UK employees rank the second highest in terms of thinking their commute has no negative impact to the environment. This was only topped by the Netherlands at 79% and is higher than Germany, where just 58% of employees believe their commute has a good to very good ecological footprint.

This high score in the UK is somewhat surprising considering more than half of those surveyed in the UK use a car to get to work (65%). France uses the car the most (75%), closely followed by Germany and Belgium at 72%. The Netherlands uses the car the least (64%).

Other choices in the UK for commuting, aside from the car, include public transport (metro, tram, bus and train) (30%), (e-)bike (6%) and on foot (18%). The Netherlands comes out top for using a bike to get to work, with just under four in ten Dutch commuters (39%) choosing this mode of transport.

“Through our research shows that the car is still the main mode of transport for commuting in the UK, it is encouraging to see that many commuters are moving towards public transport, bikes or walking to get to work,” said Brenda Morris, managing director, SD Worx UK.

“Moreover, technology advancements, digital developments and the globalisation of the labour market have made it possible for many companies to offer work from home or remote offices, allowing their employees to choose flexible working options, which will only lead to an even better commuting footprint.”