In our team here at ICN, we have a passion for enacting environmentalism and sustainability into our everyday practices. One key area for this is in our daily commutes. Our SEO analyst and Sustainability Expert Gemma talks you through 3 reasons for our transport changes.
Why are Sustainable Commutes Important to Us?
Getting our staff involved in our commitment to sustainability is an important step to working together as a team to meet our end goal of Carbon Neutral by 2030. Involvement and enthusiasm among our staff are very high, perhaps reflecting the rising numbers of Generation Z entering the workforce with sustainability as one of their core passions observed in recent studies.
The commutes of your staff do not necessarily contribute to some carbon accounting assessments as this falls under Scope 3 for emissions measuring. However, it is still a way that we as individuals in our community can have an impact on overall sustainability.
Since 2016 the UK transport sector is the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in the country, making up 25.7% of total emissions in 2021. As one of many green-conscious Nottingham businesses, we are very much aware of the role businesses have to act as leaders to reduce our emissions to make an impact on climate change. Therefore, we are now on a dedicated journey to tackle our carbon emissions in areas throughout our business, sector, and community.
This article goes into some of the ways we are embracing sustainable commutes in different ways in our team. Find out how you can start a movement towards this in your workplace by motivating your team today!
1. Embrace the Efficiency of Public Transport
Our CEO Geoff Baker has been taking the new Nottingham electric bus to work and back each day. These electric buses are just one of the investments made in public transport as part of Nottingham’s Carbon Neutral Action Plan to be completed by 2028.
Geoff has found a range of benefits to the efficiency of his commute since switching to buses. He highlights that there is a significant “lifestyle benefit for the walk” to the bus stop on top of an approximately 10-minutes shorter time to get to our Lace Market Office than using a car.
Making the switch is also a great opportunity for mobile working, answering emails or reading important client updates on the bus is an efficient way of extending the work day. Geoff says that when using public transport he is now able to complete “one task on the way there; one task on the way back”, amazing!
2. The Many Benefits of Walking
If you have the opportunity, walking is a great option to reduce your daily emissions, get your steps in and discover something new.
On my walk to and from the office, I often catch up on the latest in SEO and marketing changes with the Digital Marketing Institute’s amazing ‘Ahead of the Game’ podcast series. Recently I’ve been exploring debates on the rise of AI Machine Learning for content writing which has inspired my research for an article on the ICN Media blog (keep your eyes peeled!)
When working in a computer-based industry like ours, having a daily walk that meets your daily recommended step goals is one of the many ways we in the office avoid some of the negative impacts of desk-bound work lives.
These positive effects and the opportunity to broaden my knowledge of the sector are just some of the personal impacts I’ve seen first-hand that can act as an extra incentive for your staff to switch up their commutes!
3. Community Spirit for Sustainability
As well as making use of Nottingham’s new electric and bio-gas fuel buses, our staff is taking any opportunity to commute sustainably, through the Nottingham tramlines, and even an electric skateboard!
On our journey to assess and improve our green practices, our staff survey project is getting everyone involved and enthusiastic about going green! From our transport survey, we discovered a 100% sustainable transport use among respondents, with the majority either using Trams or BioGas Buses to get to and from work.
Our Nottingham web agency, like many in the sector, is welcoming more and more young, passionate people with a talent for providing the best client ROI and knowledge of the importance of sustainability across all Nottingham businesses, particularly those working in IT.
Stay Tuned for more on our Journey to meet Our Sustainability Goals
ICN is proud to have begun building our brand around promoting a green future for all.
If you are a business looking for a professional digital marketing agency or just curious about some of our 15 amazing services from video production, to app creation and web design, why not get in contact with our team by filling out our handy Work With Us form, or give us a call on +44(0)115 8244 448?
Blog by ICN’s SEO Analyst & Content Creator Gemma Gibson
