Top Tips

Build understanding of your travel and transport impacts, for example:

• Review your business travel records to find out how many miles are travelled in a year, using which travel modes (air, rail, car, bus etc.) and how many overnights are spent in which type of accommodation, and work out the emissions this generates.
• Review company vehicle use to find out what distances are travelled using which types of vehicle, to work out the emissions this generates.
• Review touring transport to find out what distances are travelled, using which type of transport and work out what emissions this generates.
• Do an audience, visitor or attendee travel survey to find out how and how far your audiences, visitors or attendees travel to your venue, festivals, events or courses and work out the emissions this generates.
• Ask travel grant awardees to provide information on where they travelled to and how and how many overnights they spent in which kind of accommodation and work out what emissions this generates.
• Do a staff commuting survey to find out how often, how far and how your employees travel and work what emissions this generates.

Set up regular tracking of the impact of your main types of travel and transport.

Develop a sustainable travel policy outlining key measures to avoid or reduce travel impacts, covering the key types of travel relevant for your organisation e.g. business travel, audience or visitor travel, staff commuting.

Avoid or reduce travel and transport miles, for example:

• Do online meetings, video-conferencing or hybrid events where possible.
• Plan travel and touring to consolidate routes and minimise unnecessary journeys.
• Use local suppliers, services, technicians and equipment where possible for festivals, events, conferences etc.

Shift to or promote low or zero carbon travel and transport modes, for example:

• Work with local transport authorities to see how they can support you in providing and promoting low or zero carbon travel options to audiences, visitors or staff.
• Invest in low or zero emission transport or travel infrastructure e.g. electric vans, e-cargo bikes, cycle storage.
• Choose transport and logistics companies with strong environmental credentials and which provide low or zero carbon options e.g. electric vans, e-cargo bikes, cycle couriers.
• Choose festival, event or course locations easily accessible by public transport.
• Work with host venues on promoting low and zero carbon travel options.
• Provide or promote low or zero carbon travel options to audiences, visitors, attendees and staff e.g. discount tickets for people travelling by public transport, car or ride-sharing, shuttle buses, cycle schemes.‍‍

Make sure low and zero carbon travel and transport options are inclusive and do not create barriers e.g. for people with disabilities or people who cannot ‘afford’ slow travel (financially and/or professionally).

Choose or provide information on green accommodation options.