Travel

Travel is one of the biggest producers of carbon emissions. Even modest amounts of reduction in travel can help: here are some suggestions.

Travel to and from work

Forms of travel, listed in descending order of carbon efficiency, are listed below. Think about whether you might change your method for one further up the list.

Do you need to come in every day? If you have a lot of reading/writing to do, can you work from home? Talk to the IT group about facilities such as remote desktop, web-based email, computer-based telephony and other things that can make you fully connected even when at home. If broadband seems expensive, think about how much you can potentially save in other ways such as reduction in travel costs, lunch costs etc.

• UCL operates a salary-advance scheme to cover travel costs

Forms of travel

• Walking - also healthy, relaxing, provides thinking time etc. Occupational Health have produced a useful guide.

  • Walking guide

• Cycling - an increasing number of cycle paths are becoming available

  • Map of London Cycle routes
  • However, please by careful, wear a helmet and cycle safely!
  • UCL operate a loan scheme to enable cycle purchase
  • find out more about cycling at UCL
• Tube/train
• Bus
• Car – if you must drive, can you car-share, or drive only part of the way? Can you switch to a greener car?

Travel to and from meetings

Before traveling, consider how necessary it is to go to your meeting in person, or have someone come to you. Can you set up a video-conference instead?
If you go to work-related meetings or conferences and cycle there, this can be claimed as expenses at the cycle rate of 12p per mile.  For example it is 330 miles between London and Edinburgh.  If you were to cycle to the conference (and back) you could submit an expenses claim for £79.20 for your trip.  When you get back to your office, you may need somewhere to park your bike.  There are bike storage facilities at the following areas of our buildings: rear of Bedford Way, rear of Chandler House and also outside Alexandra House.  

You may also need to take a shower. There are showers within each building at the following locations: Bedford Way basement, 2^nd floor of Chandler House, and basement of Alexandra House. 

• Remember that air travel is one of the single biggest contributors of carbon emissions. A single return trip for one person to New York adds 1.22 tonnes CO2 to the atmosphere. For other such horrifying calculations,