The CO₂ Impact of Commuting

Commuting is not just a daily routine; it’s a major contributor to CO₂ emissions. Understanding the scale of its impact and the potential for reduction is critical to tackling climate goals. By analysing Sweden’s data, we gain insight into how commuting contributes to emissions and what can be done to address this challenge.

Transport’s Role in CO₂ Emissions

Transport is one of the hardest sectors to decarbonise, and in Sweden, it accounts for approximately 30% of total CO₂ emissions, with 90% of these emissions stemming from road transport (SCB, 2024 & Naturvårdsverket, 2024). Passenger cars dominate, making road transport responsible for 27% of Sweden’s total emissions. This reflects trends seen across Europe, where private car use remains the leading source of transport-related emissions.

Commuting: A Major Contributor

Commuting emissions represent approximately 10% of Sweden’s total CO₂ emissions, making them a key target for action

Commuting, whether to work or school, makes up a significant portion of these emissions. An analysis of travel behaviour shows that 40–50% of all road travel in Sweden is related to commuting (Trafikanalys, 2024). Given that 27% of Sweden’s total emissions come from road transport, commuting accounts for an estimated 11–14% of national CO₂ emissions, highlighting commuting as a critical area for intervention.

What This Means for Individuals

Sweden’s per capita CO₂ emissions are 3.6 metric tonnes annually(Worldometers, 2024). Commuting by road represents 0.45–0.57 metric tonnes per person annually, or roughly 12,5–16% of total individual emissions. For some workplaces, particularly those in less accessible areas, per-employee emissions from commuting range from 0.5 to 1 tonne annually (Trivector, 2024). In extreme cases, commuting can represent up to 25% of an individual’s total CO₂ footprint, underscoring the significant role workplaces play in shaping these patterns.

Reducing Emissions: What’s Possible?

Evidence from workplace travel plans demonstrates reductions of 10–20% in commuting-related emissions (TfL, 2007 and City of London, 2018). However, the potential for reduction is even greater; experience in Sweden shows that with comprehensive workplace travel strategies, reductions of up to 40–50% are achievable. These results depend heavily on starting conditions, employee engagement, and local factors. Workplaces with high initial emissions often have the most room for improvement (Robèrt, 2016 and Trivector, 2024).

Reductions of commuting emissions can be reduced by up to 40-50 %, depending on the starting conditions and strategy.

The Data Gap: A Barrier to Progress

Despite the potential for significant reductions, there is a critical lack of robust data to evaluate these measures. Many organisations fail to collect baseline commuting data, and few studies track the long-term impact of interventions. This lack of evidence, particularly in peer-reviewed literature, limits the ability to quantify and showcase the real-world effectiveness of workplace travel plans. Addressing this gap is essential to driving broader adoption of these measures.

Why This Matters

Commuting emissions represent approximately 10% of Sweden’s total CO₂ emissions, making them a key target for action. Workplaces have a unique opportunity to lead the change. Those with high per-employee emissions stand to make the largest reductions, not only helping mitigate climate change but also fostering healthier, more sustainable commuting habits among employees.

References

• Robèrt, M. (2016). Strategic travel planning toward future emission targets—A comparative analysis of 20 Swedish municipalities applying the CERO model. International Journal of Sustainable Transportation, 11(5), 330–341. https://doi.org/10.1080/15568318.2016.1232452

• Statistics Sweden (SCB). (2024). Emissions to Air, First Quarter 2024. Link

• Swedish Environmental Protection Agency (Naturvårdsverket). (2024). Emissions from Domestic Transport. Link

• Trafikanalys. (2024). Resvanor i Sverige 2023. Link

• Trivector. (2024). Sustainability and Workplace Travel Data.

• Worldometers. (2024). Sweden CO₂ Emissions per Capita. Link