How transport choices impact your carbon score
The hidden carbon cost of how you get around
Did you know that transport accounts for around one-quarter of global carbon dioxide emissions from energy?
For construction professionals, understanding transport emissions isn't just about personal choices. It's becoming critical for business success. With government procurement policies like PPN 06/21 requiring carbon reduction plans for contracts over £5 million, and clients increasingly demanding sustainability credentials, your transport decisions directly impact your carbon score and competitive advantage.
Whether you're moving materials to site, travelling between projects, or commuting to the office, every journey contributes to your organisation's carbon footprint. Poor transport choices can undermine your carbon reduction efforts, damage your reputation with eco-conscious clients, and potentially cost you lucrative contracts.
Today, I'm going to show you exactly how different transport modes affect your carbon emissions and give you practical strategies to make better choices.
Walking and cycling deliver the lowest carbon impact
The most effective way to reduce transport emissions is surprisingly simple: use your own power when possible.
Walking and cycling produce minimal direct carbon emissions, typically ranging from 16 to 50 grams CO₂e per kilometre based on European diet averages, though this can vary significantly depending on dietary patterns and energy compensation. This makes them unbeatable for short journeys under 5 kilometres. For construction professionals, this might mean cycling to local site visits, walking between nearby project locations, or encouraging site workers to use active transport for short trips.
Beyond the carbon benefits, active transport offers additional advantages that matter to contractors. It reduces vehicle operating costs, eliminates parking hassles at congested urban sites, and can actually be faster than driving in heavy traffic. Forward-thinking construction companies may want to start providing cycle-to-work schemes and secure bike storage at project sites as part of their carbon reduction strategies.
The key is identifying opportunities where active transport is practical and safe, particularly for short-distance travel that currently relies on vehicles.
Public transport cuts emissions by up to 80% compared to private cars
When walking or cycling isn't feasible, public transport offers the next best option for reducing your carbon footprint.
Trains are particularly effective, generating just 31 grams of CO2 per passenger kilometre for long-distance travel. This represents an 80% reduction compared to driving alone and an 86% reduction compared to domestic flights. Even local rail transport, at 58 grams per passenger kilometre, significantly outperforms private vehicles. Long-distance buses perform similarly well at 31 grams per passenger kilometre, making them excellent choices for inter-city travel. NAVIT
For construction professionals managing multiple project sites, this data suggests clear strategies. Use rail connections for travel between distant projects, encourage public transport for office commutes, and consider coach travel for team movements to remote sites. It stands to reason for contractors to factor public transport accessibility into their site selection criteria and providing public transport subsidies to reduce overall project emissions.
The carbon advantage of public transport increases dramatically with higher passenger loads, making it especially effective for moving construction teams rather than individual travel.
Electric vehicles offer substantial improvements over petrol and diesel
When private vehicle use is unavoidable, electric vehicles provide significant carbon reductions compared to traditional combustion engines.
The exact emissions depend on your local electricity grid, but electric vehicles typically produce 50-70% fewer emissions than equivalent petrol or diesel vehicles. In countries with cleaner electricity mixes, the reductions can be even greater. For construction fleets, this presents a clear pathway to reducing transport emissions, particularly for light commercial vehicles and site cars.
However, the transition requires careful planning. Consider the availability of charging infrastructure at project sites, the range requirements for your typical journeys, and the upfront capital costs. Contractors can start with hybrid vehicles as a stepping stone, or focus on electric vehicle adoption on predictable routes like daily commutes and local deliveries.
The carbon benefits multiply when electric vehicles are charged using renewable energy sources, making on-site solar charging an attractive option for forward-thinking contractors.
Car sharing dramatically reduces per-person emissions
One of the most immediate ways to cut transport emissions is simply sharing vehicles rather than travelling alone.
A single car carrying four people produces roughly one-quarter of the per-person emissions compared to four separate cars making the same journey Ana María Arbeláez Vélez. This makes car sharing one of the most cost-effective carbon reduction strategies available. For construction teams, this might mean coordinating site visits, sharing transport to training courses, or organising group travel to project meetings.
Beyond the carbon benefits, car sharing reduces costs, parking requirements, and traffic congestion around project sites. It is time for construction companies to start implementing formal car-sharing programmes, providing incentives for shared journeys, or using ride-sharing apps for business travel.
The key is building car sharing into your standard operating procedures rather than treating it as an afterthought.
Aviation should be your last resort for domestic travel
Flying produces some of the highest per-kilometre emissions of any transport mode, making it the least sustainable option for most business travel.
Domestic flights generate around 246 grams of CO2 per passenger kilometre, roughly eight times higher than rail travel. The carbon intensity is particularly high for short flights under 1,000 kilometres because take-off requires enormous energy input compared to the cruise phase. For construction professionals, this means avoiding flights for domestic meetings, site visits, or training whenever possible.
When international travel is essential, choose direct flights over connecting flights, and consider offsetting emissions through verified carbon reduction programmes. This is where the idea of "flight budgets" that limit aviation emissions per employee or project become important as it encourages teams to find lower-carbon alternatives.
The construction industry's increasing focus on local supply chains and regional expertise also reduces the need for long-distance travel, supporting both carbon reduction and business resilience.
Material transport choices significantly impact project carbon footprints
For construction projects, material transport often represents the largest transport-related emission source, making vehicle and route choices critical for carbon performance.
Rail and water transport produce significantly lower emissions than road transport for heavy materials like steel, concrete, and aggregates. Where possible, choose suppliers who can deliver via rail or barge, and factor transport emissions into material selection decisions. Local sourcing can reduce transport emissions significantly, as demonstrated in projects like the London Olympics Velodrome.
Road transport efficiency can be improved through full vehicle loading, route optimisation, and using larger vehicles for bulk deliveries. Specifying minimum load factors for material deliveries and coordinating with multiple suppliers to maximise vehicle utilisation is a smart way of achieving this.
The shift towards electric and hydrogen-powered heavy goods vehicles offers future opportunities for further emission reductions, though current availability remains limited for construction applications.
Quick wins: immediate actions to reduce your transport carbon score
You can start reducing transport emissions today with these practical steps that require minimal investment but deliver measurable results.
First, audit your current transport patterns to identify the biggest emission sources and easiest wins. Replace short car journeys with walking or cycling, use public transport for longer trips, and implement car sharing for team travel.
Second, choose suppliers based partly on transport emissions, prioritising local sourcing and efficient delivery methods.
Third, provide incentives for low-carbon transport choices, such as cycle-to-work schemes, public transport subsidies, or mileage rates that favour efficient vehicles. Finally, track and report transport emissions as part of your carbon reduction plan, making the data visible to encourage better choices.
These actions not only reduce emissions but also demonstrate your commitment to sustainability, supporting your competitive position in an increasingly carbon-conscious market.
Dr. Suhaib Arogundade, Ph.D
PS: If you wait for embodied carbon regulations to hit, it’ll be too late. Here’s how you can get ahead of the curve.