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Creating Optimal Mobility Measures to Enable Reduced Commuter Emissions
COMMERCE is a three year project that is funded by the European Commission, through the Intelligent Energy Europe programme. Its aim is to increase the number and improve the quality of Mobility Plans that are developed by small and medium sized companies by providing tools and standards based on best practice across Europe. Mobility Plans are also known as Travel Plans and their development is a clear way of reducing commuter’s CO2 emissions.
What is a Workplace Travel Plan or Mobility Plan?
A Mobility Plan is a package of measures that are tailored to the needs of companies or organisations to improve sustainable transport options and reduce single occupancy car use amongst staff. Developing a Mobility Plan can help reduce congestion, pollution and your transport impact whilst still allowing your business to continue to grow and expand. Mobility Plans are also known as Travel Plans and their development is a clear way of reducing commuter’s CO2 emissions.
Mobility Plan measures
There are many different measures that can be introduced in the scope of a Mobility Plan such as the provision of company cycles, showers, changing rooms, lockers, multi-modal maps, car pooling and car sharing schemes. For a comprehensive list and definitions please click here.
Why is COMMERCE necessary?
Urban congestion has an increasingly large and negative effect on our towns and cities. Whether this be in terms of health, wealth or general quality of life, actions need to be taken to halt this trend. In the UK, the Confederation of British Industry has estimated that congestion is costing businesses nearly €24bn every year in terms of lost productivity alone. When added to the amount of sick days lost through ill health that could be treated by a healthier lifestyle, the journey to work plays a key part in the economic prosperity of our cities. This economic impact is a key driver to engage businesses in the uptake of Mobility Plans.
In Eastern European countries, COMMERCE will aim to help stakeholders tackle a different yet profound challenge: That of growing car use which is increasing congestion.
How will COMMERCE operate?
London and Paris, our two ‘Leader’ Cities, have extensive experience in Mobility Plans and will provide mentoring and exchange of expertise for our four ‘learner’ cities: Bucharest, Budapest, Kaunas and Plovdiv. EPOMM, the European Platform on Mobility Management, will provide technical support for the project, bringing in best practice from across the EU to develop a guidance document for Mobility Plans. Mobility forums will be developed in each city bringing together the municipality and local businesses. Local city action plans will be produced using the COMMERCE guide and standards.
An online web-based forum will provide a platform for sharing knowledge and experience. The European Platform On Workplace Travel plans (EPOWT), will be hosted by EPOMM and be open to all EU municipalities and Small and Medium Enterprises.
COMMERCE will recognise best practice in Mobility Planning by running the Pan-European Workplace Travel plan Awards (PEWTA). The awards will run in conjunction with the International Transport Forum in 2008 and will be recognised at ECOMM (European Conference on Mobility Management).
Expected Results
At the end of the project each partner will have:
| • | Established a Mobility Plan Forum with key local stakeholders | |
| • | Developed a 3 year action plan | |
| • | Implemented Mobility Plans with local businesses | |
| • | Developed skills through exchange of experience and mentoring between leader and learner cities | |
| • | Reduced CO2 emissions |
At the end of the project, at national and European levels, we will have established:
| • | A set of EU standards and criteria for Mobility Plans – the standards will be applicable to all EU municipalities, employers and key decision makers | |
| • | Pan-European Workplace Travel plan Awards - PEWTA – using the standards as the criteria for assessing and recognising European best practice | |
| • | A European Platform On Workplace Travel plans – EPOWT – web based discussion forum for exchange of experience |
10 years after the project-end:
| • | Further decrease in CO2 emissions through increased take-up and implementation of Mobility Plans. |
