Mobility management

Meeting mobility needs in an environmentally and employee friendly way and developing mobility concepts for all modes of transport

What do we mean by this?

An essential prerequisite for employees to offer environmentally friendly mobility practices is an organisational framework that maximises the efficiency as well as the environmental friendliness of work-related commuting and trips.

Relevance and content
The carbon footprint of a research organisation is a clear indicator for the organisation's indirect environmental impact, and is significantly influenced by the work-related mobility of employees. Depending on the definition and system boundaries, work-related mobility includes not only commuting to and from place of work, but also business trips and mobility between locations.

The transport infrastructure available at the location and in the region is a relevant factor for the handling of all work-related mobility, which must be considered in its close interrelationship with the urban structure and transport development, especially when it comes to location decisions. For example, the attractiveness of a research campus for employees increases when facilities for daily needs are nearby and when there are good connections to local public transport.

Business trips are very important for research organisations. Expert meetings and networking with the international community at conferences are especially important as formats of exchange, but also for incentivising young scientists. Yet, depending on the means of transport, travel creates emissions of climate gases and air pollutants and is as time-consuming as it is costly. The use of suitable communication technologies for web conferences and virtual meetings can significantly reduce the amount of travel.

Corporate mobility concepts are a good means of supporting environmentally compatible mobility behaviour through organisational measures. At the same time, they help to save cost (e.g. fewer parking spaces), promote health (e.g. more exercise at the workplace through company bicycles), or increase work-life balance (e.g. webinars instead of business trips). Sustainable mobility concepts offer a variety of starting points within the organisation and can contribute to a wide range of organisational goals, for example, in the areas of travel, health, environmental management, and human resources management. Mobility concepts have consequences for the design of master plans and for requirements planning in real estate development.

How could a research organisation implement this?

• Set up a "mobility of short distances" scheme at and between the locations, for example, by improving accessibility on foot and quality of stay, by providing company bicycles and/or buses for commuting, or by participating in mobility concepts offering multiple modes of transport
• Make commuting to and from work more environmentally friendly, for example, by offering job tickets for public transport, suitable infrastructure for cyclists, or the option of car sharing
• Increase the availability of communication technologies such as video and web conference streaming platforms for meetings or scientific conferences
• Continually update the organisation's travel management, for example by developing guidelines for environmentally friendly business travel
• Implement the most environmentally friendly business trips possible through targeted cooperation with certified providers who, for example, have ambitious climate protection goals and comply with environmental standards (e.g. EMAS or ISO 14001)
• Organise environmentally compatible or climate-neutral arrival and departure options for participants when hosting events
• Record and analyse mobility-related resource consumption and environmental impact as part of the operational ecology

Master plan
Internationality

Guidelines and mobility plans for corporate mobility management (ILS – Institut für Landes- und Stadtentwicklungsforschung)
Show details [in German]

Sustainability reporting

DNK criteria

• 13 Climate-Relevant Emissions

GRI indicators

• Ecology/Energy: G4-EN4
• Ecology/Emissions: G4-EN17