Britain's Top Companies Get Greener as Staff Get on Their Bikes: Results of Green Transport Week Survey

LONDON, June 6 -- Britain's leading companies have improved their green credentials, according to a survey by the Environmental Transport Association (ETA), the ethical alternative breakdown service. This announcement marks the 12th annual Green Transport Week created by the ETA to highlight real alternatives to the car for every day journeys.

National Grid Transco, British Land and Legal and General are among the best performers in a survey of 45 of the FSTE 100 companies which measured the "greenness" of their environmental and transport policies.

The overall results show that 73 per cent of the respondents scored over 50 points out of a possible 100, compared with 65 per cent when the survey was last conducted eight years ago. Two-thirds of respondents say that reducing transport's environmental impact is part of their company's core business strategy.

Innovative schemes to reduce the use of cars and encourage staff to use public transport or use cycles have underpinned the improvement. British Airways, British Land and Prudential encourage employees to use bikes by paying a cycle mileage allowance for business travel.

Andrew Davis, director of the ETA said: "This is good news and the type of scheme the ETA encourages other companies to consider. The FTSE companies could take a lead from companies such as Pfizer, the largest supplier of medicines to the NHS. It offers a flat payment of GBP5 per day for all staff who use a "green" form of transport to get to work, at its headquarters in Surrey, either walking, bus, car share (only applies to passengers) or cycling. Pfizer are actually giving staff a financial incentive to leave their cars at home.

"Two-thirds of respondents now provide alternative transport schemes for staff, such as dedicated bus services or car-sharing. Disappointingly, however, most companies who responded are not making more effort to restrict the allocation of company cars or free parking."

22 per cent of respondents, including Cadbury Schweppes and Reed Elsevier, offer interest-free loans for cycles. Others, such as Friends Provident, offer discounts on cycles while B&Q also provides free cycle safety training.

ETA suggests ways for companies to go green:

1. Support car sharing by creating a car share database for employees and by providing dedicated parking spaces

2. Change to fuel-efficient vehicles like the petrol/electric hybrids Toyota Prius and Honda Civic IMA Executive, or smaller-engine vehicles. You save on fuel consumption, reduce emissions plus benefit from substantial tax savings

3. Provide incentives for staff to use public transport or travel by bicycle, offering interest-free rail season ticket loans, or loans to purchase a bicycle

4. Provide a cycle-use mileage allowance for business travel or commuting by bicycle

5. Find out about the many green travel tax breaks from the Department for Transport

For further information and more tips on greener company travel go to: www.eta.co.uk/companytravel

Green Transport Week

A week of events around Britain from 11-19th June 2005. It aims to:

    
    - Raise awareness of the impact of transport on the environment
    - Highlight transport alternatives
    - Encourage people to stop and think before driving
    - Send a message to government at all levels about the need to reduce 
      our transport impact on the environment

For further information visit www.eta.co.uk/greentransportweek

Notes to editors:

The ETA offers a comprehensive breakdown service across Europe. Their services also include cycle insurance, cycle rescue, travel and house insurance plus vehicle inspection service.