CO2 emissions by mode of transport: how can companies reduce their impact?

Which modes of transport emit the most emissions in the workplace?

🚗 Business travel: an underestimated challenge

Business travel accounts for a significant, and often underestimated, share of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by companies in France. Among the main types of travel used :

• 🚙 The company car: This mode is largely dominant in French organizations, particularly for short and medium trips. Cars emit around 2.28 kg of CO2 per liter of fuel consumed. As an example, a round trip by car between Paris and Marseille can generate almost 150 kg of CO2, equivalent to the annual energy consumption of a small apartment. To reduce this footprint, some companies are starting to introduce fleets of electric vehicles, but their adoption is still limited.

• ✈️ Air travel: This means of transport is extremely polluting, especially for short trips, where the take-off and landing phases consume the most energy. For example, a round-trip flight between Paris and Marseille (776km) emits around 171 kg CO2e per person, i.e. 20 times more than the same journey made by TGV.
  However, air travel is often preferred for reasons of speed. One solution is to promote the use of the railroads for national or European journeys, such as between Paris and Brussels, where TGV journey times are similar to those by plane when waiting times are included, not to mention the fact that it's possible to work in peace on a train, whereas this is hardly possible on a plane.

• 🚆 The train: This is one of the most environmentally virtuous means of travel. In France, a trip by TGV generates just 1.73 g of CO2 per km per passenger, thanks to the use of mostly decarbonized electricity. Despite these low figures, companies still make little use of the TGV for business travel, due to ingrained habits or a lack of appropriate planning.

In 2021, carbon emissions from France' s transport sector will account for 30% of the national total, or 126 MtCO2eq. Railways account for less than 1% of CO2 emissions, for 10% of freight and passenger transport in France.

According to the SNCF, which compares its offer with other means of transport, the TGV or Intercités remains the least polluting option, and has the added advantage of being a collective means of transport, making it ideal for business travel (easy to book and organize, time-saving compared with air travel or car-pooling).

📦 Logistics and freight: a massive source of emissions

For organizations operating in commerce or industry, logistics and goods transport represent a key GHG emissions item. The main types concerned are :

🚛 Trucks and utility vehicles :

• In Europe, according to statistics, around 75% of goods are transported by road, making it a major source of GHG emissions.

🚢 Maritime transport :

• Maritime transport is one of the lowest emitters per tonne.kilometer (t.km), with an average of around 3 g of CO2 per t.km for a container ship. However, the massive volume transported and the long distances covered mean that maritime transport makes a significant contribution to GHG emissions.
• On a voyage between Asia and Europe, the emissions of a container ship are very high due to the millions of tons transported, even though each individual unit is very efficient.

🛫 Air freight :

• Air transport is the most emissive mode of transport per t.km. A cargo plane emits around 10 to 40 grams of CO₂ per km, depending on the statistics. The use of airplanes is mainly reserved for high-value products or deliveries requiring fast turnaround times. However, exorbitant prices are prompting organizations to explore more sustainable alternatives, such as a combination of sea or rail freight and low-emission local last-mile solutions.

🚌 Local transport and the last mile: a challenge for cities

Last-mile delivery, particularly in urban areas, has become a major challenge with the rise of e-commerce. Trucks and vans operating in densely populated areas make a major contribution to local pollution and to the carbon footprint of structures.

• Environmental consequence: emissions from a diesel light commercial vehicle vary according to model, load and driving conditions. On average, they are between 180 and 200 g of CO₂ per Km under typical urban delivery conditions. These figures can increase with traffic jams or frequent stop-and-go cycles.

• 🚲 Emerging alternatives: Some companies are adopting more sustainable solutions, such as cargo bikes or electric vehicles for urban deliveries. For example, a cargo bike equipped for logistics emits no greenhouse gases while in use, and helps reduce air pollution in city centers. In Paris, initiatives such as local logistics hubs promote these low-carbon delivery methods.

The means of transport used by organizations, whether for business travel, international logistics or local delivery, are major sources of greenhouse gas emissions.

However, every choice, from using the train for a business trip to adopting electric vehicles for the last kilometre, can significantly reduce this balance. It is therefore essential to rethink these practices to combine efficiency and climate responsibility.

Factors influencing emissions from business activities

🚛 Distance travelled and frequency of journeys: an emissions multiplier

The impact of transport activities is directly proportional to the distance covered and the frequency of travel. Structures whose operations require regular or long-distance travel inevitably generate a high carbon footprint.

• 🛩️ Frequent business travel: For example, an employee making a monthly round trip by plane between Paris and New York (around 11,000 km) generates more than 21288 KG CO2e. each year. On the scale of a large organization, this habit can represent tens or even hundreds of tons of CO2. Solution: Encourage virtual meetings or group travel to limit its frequency.

• ⛴️ Remote logistics: Organizations with international supply chains are seeing their emissions soar. For example, importing products from China to Marseille by sea involves thousands of kilometers of travel. If this distance is combined with road transport for local distribution, the carbon footprint increases still further. Solution: Look for local or regional suppliers to reduce distances travelled.

🚚 Means of transport chosen: a highly variable impact

Not all types of transport have the same carbon intensity per kilometer, and choosing one or other can multiply emissions by 10 or even 50.

• Air vs. sea transport: For example, shipping a ton of goods by air over 1,000 km emits around 1,054 kg of CO₂, while the same trip by sea generates just 20 kg of CO₂. This kind of decision can be crucial for logistics companies operating between European hubs like Paris and Berlin. Solution: integrate rail or sea freight into supply chains where lead times allow.

• Use of combustion-powered vehicles: A fleet made up entirely of diesel or petrol vehicles can generate up to 50% more emissions than a hybrid or electric fleet. For example, for a company managing a fleet of 100 cars covering around 20,000 km per year, switching to electric vehicles could reduce its annual emissions by several dozen tonnes. Solution: Set up a program to gradually switch to low-GHG emission vehicles.

📦 Logistics optimization and internal organization: an under-exploited lever

Supply chains and the organization of internal travel play a key role in the emissions generated by organizations.

• Inefficient supply chains: Poorly optimized logistics, with empty runs or poorly planned routes, generate unnecessary emissions.

Solution: Invest in high-performance logistics management tools to optimize itineraries and limit unnecessary journeys.

• Energy mix: The impact of means of transport also depends on the energy source used. In France, a train powered by nuclear or renewable energy emits very little CO2, whereas a diesel train or a truck in a country where energy comes mainly from coal will be much more polluting.
  Solution: Collaborate with logistics providers using electric fleets or a cleaner energy mix.

• Corporate culture and travel habits: The systematic use of air travel for internal meetings or short trips sometimes reflects a lack of strategic thinking. For example, a plane journey between Paris and Lyon emits 20 times more CO2 than a TGV journey, but is often chosen for reasons of perceived speed.
  Solution: make employees aware of the repercussions of their choices, and encourage more sustainable alternatives.

In summary, the factors influencing GHG emissions linked to companies' transport activities are multiple: distance travelled, types of transport used, logistical efficiency and organizational culture.

By making strategic decisions such as reducing unnecessary travel, switching to lower-emission means of transport and optimizing supply chains, organizations can significantly reduce their carbon footprint while boosting operational efficiency.

How can companies reduce their transport-related CO2 emissions?

🌱 Optimizing business travel

Reducing emissions linked to employee travel requires a review of travel habits and better planning.

• Encourage teleworking and online meetings: Many companies have adopted these practices, particularly since the health crisis. For example, replacing a car journey between Brussels and Paris generates around 80 kg of CO2 for a distance of 300 km.

Tip: Make high-performance videoconferencing tools available and encourage their use through in-house training courses.

• Favoring the railroads for national and European travel: For journeys like Paris-London, taking the Eurostar emits around 6 kg of CO2 per passenger, compared with 140 kg by air. Structures can establish a travel policy favoring rail for journeys of less than 4 hours. Case in point: Microsoft is a good example of a company that has reduced its domestic flights in favor of greener means of transport. In 2020, the company announced a significant drop in business travel, partly due to the pandemic, but mainly as part of its commitment to becoming "carbon negative" by 2030. Microsoft is encouraging its employees to favor virtual meetings or rail travel for short distances. This is part of their global strategy to limit the emissions linked to their activities.

• Encourage car-pooling and public transport subscriptions: Setting up internal car-pooling platforms or reimbursing subscriptions to public transport networks can significantly reduce emissions. For example, a daily carpool trip between Marseille and Aix-en-Provence can halve CO2 emissions per passenger.

🚘 Reducing the impact of corporate fleets

Vehicle fleets account for a significant proportion of GHG emissions for many companies. Concrete actions can reduce their ecological footprint.

• Transition to electric or hybrid vehicles: Replacing a combustion fleet with electric vehicles reduces direct emissions to zero during use. Example: La Poste in France has integrated nearly 13,000 electric vehicles into its local delivery fleet, drastically reducing its emissions.

• Eco-driving training: Proper driving habits can reduce fuel consumption by 10-15%. For example, eco-driving training for an organization's truck drivers can save 5 megagrams of CO2 per year for a fleet of 50 vehicles.

• Use emissions monitoring tools: Management platforms make it possible to monitor GHG emissions in real time and plan reduction strategies. For example, calculating the emissions of a fleet of vehicles between Lyon and Nice can help identify shorter or less polluting routes.