Once we’ve figured out ways of getting, or transporting things, from A to B that doesn’t burn fossil fuels and uses clean energy, we won’t need to worry about transport anymore (we want to get to that point ASAP). 

However, currently transport accounts for a significant proportion of emissions (around 15%)* and is one of the key ways you can reduce your personal footprint in the short term. 
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What can you do?

Travel Less - can you cut the number of times you travel?

• Number of days you commute in to work
• Number of times you travel away for business
  • Consolidate more meetings into fewer trips
  • Use technology to hold virtual meetings 
• Fewer trips abroad (flying = high emissions)
  • Longer holidays with fewer trips?
  • More domestic holidays?

Travel Differently 

• Can you use zero carbon (walking, running, cycling) or low carbon (train, bus, tram, tube) modes of transport? 
• Can you share a lift or car pool?
• Can you use electric vehicles run on clean energy?

Support electrification

• If you need a new car then buying an electric vehicle supports the transition to a net zero economy by sending a market signal to companies/government that you care about this issue as well as directly reducing your emissions, it’s also:
  • Cheaper to run 
  • Generally requires less maintenance 
  • At reduced risk from increased taxation and regulation that will likely be applied to curb fossil fuel use (e.g. low emission zones)

Impact depends on:

• How high your emissions from travel are currently
• How much you can reasonably reduce your travel emissions
  • Would it be practical/possible to travel differently, or less?

Cost depends on:

• The price of an electric/hybrid vehicle compared to the alternative (upfront costs are often higher and may not be affordable). 
• How much you are able to reduce the number of times you travel and the cost of each trip (less travel will save you money) ​

Effort depends on:

• How much time you’ll save from reduced travel
• How much time it takes to rearrange your travel plans (e.g. consolidating business trips may require quite a lot of organisation)
• How much more/less time it takes to travel differently 
• For electric vehicles - what charging infrastructure is like in your region or the places you travel to