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Pfizer, Grange Castle, Co. Dublin
Engaging with Employees
The Pfizer employee travel survey in 2009 was one of the most popular surveys ever conducted in the Grange Castle campus, in terms of numbers responding. This gives Pfizer a great insight into how employees travel to work and where there are opportunities to further promote sustainable travel.
Pfizer are re-launching their car-sharing scheme, with more parking spaces allocated in priority locations, and with contractors invited to partake in the scheme. With 43% of employees open to considering car-sharing, there is significant potential to reduce pressure on car parking spaces and carbon emissions, as well as reducing fuel costs for employees.
Pfizer in Grange Castle is pleased to be engaging with employees in a meaningful way about something that affects them all—the journey to work. There is significant interest from Pfizer employees in sustainable travel and exploring their options. To date we have improved cycle parking, re-launched our car-sharing scheme and improved commuter shower/ changing facilities on site. We are also reaching beyond our campus and are engaging with South Dublin County Council for group cycles, Mobility Week events and other travel related issues. Kathleen Nolan, Business Partner, EHS & Site Services
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Vodafone, Leopardstown Dublin
Reducing Carbon as a Corproate Target
Vodafone Ireland is engaged in a wide-reaching plan to reduce carbon associated with their operations. Employee and business travel are key issues being addressed.
Technology-based alternatives to travel have helped Vodafone Ireland achieve a 45% reduction in air travel GHG emissions in just one year. Within the last year Vodafone Ireland has expanded its videoconferencing facilities from 3 rooms to 12, and high quality videoconferencing facilities are now available to all staff. The company is also piloting the use of web conferencing (all staff have access to computer webcams and headsets) and online moderated discussion workshops. With the help of appropriate staff training, alternatives to travel such as video and web conferencing are now part of ‘business as usual’ at Vodafone Ireland. Looking to the future, the company expects that advancement in communications technology in the next few years will allow its business travel to be reduced to an absolute minimum.
The adoption of communication technologies such as video-conferencing is deeply embedded in our environmental strategy, and has been fully supported by our CEO and senior management. This level of commitment has proven essential for the sustained success of our Green Agenda and has been an enabler in bringing down our carbon emissions. Laura Turkington, Vodafone Ireland Foundation & Corporate Responsibility Manager
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ESB
Process
ESB invited interested employees to volunteer as local Sustainability Champions as part of the ESB’s target to be carbon neutral by 2035. Almost 200 people volunteered for this role and they have to date been instrumental in generating local enthusiasm and involvement in sustainability initiatives. One of the areas that the champions have become involved in is sustainable commuting and business travel. Senior management is very supportive and engaged in the process and resources employees’ suggestions appropriately.
Walking
ESBI liaised with a local tour guide to provide lunchtime walks around Dublin city. The walks were so popular, they were oversubscribed!
Aside from the social and networking aspects, the lunchtime walks were a great way to get people walking around the local area and seeing how close they are on foot to places they might otherwise visit by car. Mick Downey, Communications Manager, Sustainability
50 teams from ESB participated in the NTA-arranged Pedometer Challenge and thoroughly enjoyed the experience, with two ESB teams finishing first and second overall.
Cycling
ESB have a fleet of company bikes available in eight locations including power stations, depots and office buildings around the country. These bikes are always in steady demand and are used for a variety of work and personal purposes including travelling to local meetings, travelling between task locations on large sites and network patrols. In addition staff can use them for lunchtime errands or to see does commuting by bike suit them.
As of August 2009, the ESB had facilitated its employees in purchasing 225 bikes through the Cycle to Work scheme. Bikes sold as part of this scheme save employers PRSI on every one sold, and employees get their bike tax, levy and PRSI-free. ESB cyclists are encouraged and supported in their modal choice through provision of new shower, changing and locker facilities, and a drying area for wet gear in Head Office. Following a recent audit, it is planned to improve facilities throughout other locations.
The fleet bikes have been a great success. People who haven’t been on a bike in years are trying out cycling again before purchasing a bike, or people can use them to get to meetings quickly. The bikes are in steady demand and it’s very encouraging to see the level of interest in them from employees generally. Michael Downey, Communications Manager, Sustainability
Fleet
ESB has the largest fleet in the country operating on bio-fuels and is currently working with the University of Limerick on a joint study to identify issues and solutions to bio-fuel driving.
ESB has purchased a number of electric cars, vans and people carriers and will trial a number of other electric vehicles and variants with a view to rolling more out across the fleet. ESB is also feeding back into national policy on electric vehicles and charging infrastructure based on its expertise.
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Savills, Molesworth Street, Dublin
Savills have made the development and implementation of their travel plan part of their graduate training programme. The work of the graduate team is sponsored and approved by a Senior Manager. The team has introduced the Cycle to Work scheme, expanded cycle parking and coordinated their Pedometer Challenge, as well as developing a comprehensive sustainable travel section for their intranet.
With offices nationwide, Savills are starting their travel plan by piloting initiatives in their Dublin Head Office, before considering rolling out initiatives to their branches.
As of November 2009, 20 bikes had been sold through the Cycle to Work scheme (18% of the workforce) and car parking spaces had been reduced by 13% (from 60 down to 52). Savills are very pleased with the initial results and are looking forward to similar results in the coming year.
As a business Savills understand that sustainability, entrepreneurship and efficiency go hand in hand. By introducing the Cycle to Work scheme and securing extra cycle parking, our aim is to facilitate employees wishing to have an active commute, while also contributing to Savill’s sustainability targets. Kevin Carroll, Savills Green Team
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AIB Bank Centre Ballsbridge, Dublin
‘Opening Access’
As part of their mobility management plan, AIB has set a target that 37.1% of their employees could potentially use the DART to commute to and from work, as a significant number of employees live within 1km of the DART or rail network. To facilitate this, AIB worked with Irish Rail to open up a walking route at the BankCentre complex in Ballsbridge so that AIB employees could have direct access to the Lansdowne DART station.
The wellbeing of our employees is very important to AIB. We are trying to enable them to be active as they commute to and from work, whether they walk, cycle or take public transport. Working with Irish Rail to enable the Landsdowne DART station to be accessed directly from the Bankcentre complex was one way we could facilitate that. In addition, as part of our mobility management programme AIB promotes tax saver tickets, bicycle workshops, allocated spaces for bicycles and showers for staff to use, if they require. We were delighted to have the highest number of teams participating in the Smarter Travel Workplaces Pedometer Challenge 2009 which encouraged AIB staff to take up walking in a fun competition, supporting the Irish Heart Foundation. Jacqui McCrum, Corporate Social Responsibility Manager
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eircom, Dublin
When eircom relocated its head office to Heuston Square in Dublin 1, an opportunity arose to put top class facilities in place for cyclists. Cyclists now have access to new shower blocks, short term lockers and drying areas for their gear, and cycle parking is secure and underground. eircom also introduced the Cycle to Work scheme for employees, with a bike display in the foyer of the headquarters in Heuston Quarter. As of November 2009, 300 employees had availed of the scheme. As cyclist numbers increase, eircom will look at putting more facilities in place.
Incentive Scheme for Sustainable Commuters
eircom recently launched their Journey Logger scheme for sustainable commuters. With a significant number of employees walking, cycling and taking public transport, the Journey Logger is clocking up impressive amounts of CO2 and fuel saved by leaving the car at home.
More Efficient Fleet
eircom has 640 vehicles in its fleet, the majority of which run on unleaded fuel. A new policy introduced at the start of 2009 will see the eircom car fleet converted to diesel-powered vehicles, with the majority in the A, B and C tax bands—this will reduce CO2 emissions associated with the fleet.
Driver Training
eircom commenced a pilot Safe and Fuel Efficient Driver Training course in June 2009, following the success of an in-house trial. The course is based on the UK Department for Transport equivalent, using the same consultancy group, AEA Technologies. It is expected that fuel consumption will reduce by 7% over the course of the programme and beyond and accident statistics will improve. As of November 2009, over 100 employees had undertaken the training. The programme is being supported by Sustainable Energy Ireland SEI).
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KPMG, Harbour Master Place & Stokes Place, Dublin
As part of KPMG’s goal to be the first professional services company in Ireland to be carbon neutral, the organisation is prioritising sustainable travel for employees.
KPMG is introducing monthly Tax Saver tickets, improving cycle parking and promoting cycling for work and the commute, as well as communicating with employees about the KPMG travel plan on a regular basis.
Employees who are entitled to a car parking space have the option of exchanging their car parking permit for other benefits with a cash value of €2,100. This value can be used towards public transport tickets, health benefits or extra holidays, as part of the K-Flex benefits package.
KPMG has also introduced a mileage allowance for employees who walk/cycle for business purposes. Because this is a taxable expense as benefit in kind, KPMG is covering the tax costs so employees are gaining from the full amount.
As a result of their endeavours, KPMG has very low numbers of employees driving to work—just 13% of all Stokes Place staff and 9% of all Harbourmaster staff.
Since becoming a Smarter Travel Workplaces Partner, KPMG has gained an insight into sustainability and workplace travel plans through our access to free advice and resources. A key point for KPMG is to have access to the network of other likeminded organisations, which have an interest in sustainability and travel planning. Karina Howley, Corporate Social Responsibility Manager
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Dell, Cherrywood
‘Every cause needs a champion’
Dell’s Cherrywood car-sharing scheme was implemented after their Green Team championed the cause, as part of a company-wide plan to become more sustainable. The arrival of the Luas line in Cherrywood will also facilitate employees travelling sustainably on-site.
Dell’s Cherrywood site has also introduced a very popular Cycle to Work scheme, initially on a one-off basis to gauge the level of administration involved. The scheme was very popular and the administration was less onerous than expected, so Dell are now offering the scheme to employees in a number of purchasing windows throughout the year.
For Dell, investment in video conference technology has reduced employee travel around the world, reducing employee downtime spent on travel or away from their families. Dell is also promoting the Cycle to Work scheme and tax saver tickets for public transport, alongside our successful car-sharing scheme. Really for us, this is all becoming a win-win. Denis Lucey, Director, EMEA Technical Customer Services
