Business-related mobility can be a significant source of greenhouse gas emissions: employee commuting, business trips and the use of company vehicles can all have a substantial impact on an organization's overall carbon footprint, both in terms of direct and indirect emissions.
Measuring and monitoring the impact of corporate mobility is essential to identify critical areas and define effective strategies to reduce emissions and environmental impact.
Why measure emissions?
Today, mobility is considered a key element in corporate sustainability reporting. The Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) requires companies that meet certain criteria to prepare a sustainability report, which must also evaluate the environmental impact of mobility.
Even companies not subject to CSRD obligations can measure mobility-related emissions to better understand the environmental effects of their travel and identify effective strategies to reduce them. This approach helps make corporate mobility more sustainable and strengthens the company's reputation with clients, partners, and the community.
How to measure mobility-related emissions
Calculating emissions involves converting data related to business activities, such as energy consumption or mileage, into tons of CO₂ equivalent.
To ensure consistency and reliability, it is recommended to adhere to international emission reporting standards, such as the GHG Protocol and ISO 14064-1.
Key information needed to calculate emissions includes:
- type of transport used (car, train, plane, public transport, etc.);
- vehicle characteristics (fuel type, efficiency class, model);
- kilometers traveled, number of trips, or hours of use;
- fuel consumption or electricity used for charging.
The calculation method chosen determines which data need to be collected and what information is required for the measurements. When fuel or energy consumption data are available, measurements can be more precise. If this information is not available, the impact can be estimated based on distances traveled and the types of vehicles used, still producing results consistent with reporting standards.
Tools for data collection
Data can be gathered in different ways, depending on the resources available in the company. Examples include fuel cards and receipts, telematics data from vehicles, mileage logs, airline or rail reports and internal surveys on employee commuting habits. There is no single method; the key is to adopt solutions that align with reporting standards.
Digital tools such as fleet management and mobility management software can further help integrate and monitor this information continuously, ensuring more accurate and easily verifiable data.
How to make corporate mobility more sustainable
Measuring and monitoring emissions is not just about identifying a company’s environmental impact. It also provides valuable insights for improving processes and guiding the choice of effective solutions to reduce emissions.
Companies can adopt a wide range of actions to promote more sustainable mobility, including:
- Encouraging hybrid work and remote work: reducing the number of days in the office helps decrease employee commuting, lowering traffic and emissions;
- Promoting public transport: including reimbursement of public transport passes in corporate welfare plans reduces reliance on private vehicles;
- Upgrading the company fleet with cleaner vehicles: replacing older cars with hybrid or electric ones cuts direct emissions and allows companies to benefit from public incentives such as the Ecobonus in Italy;
- Investing in cycling infrastructure: bike parking and related facilities encourage employees to commute by bicycle.
How we can support your company
Mobility management is a key component of a broader corporate sustainability strategy. With Kyklos Carbon, we support companies in understanding their environmental impact and defining a concrete path toward improvement.
We take care of calculating your carbon footprint and preparing your sustainability report, with the goal not only of reducing emissions but also of making your company more aware of its impacts and better equipped to manage them effectively.
Contact us to learn how to make your business more sustainable.
The environmental impact of corporate mobility: how to measure and reduce emissions