Travelknowhow Scotland is supporting organisations across Scotland as they take practical steps towards reducing their carbon footprint through smarter travel choices. Their latest case study with East Lothian Council shows just how impactful this support can be when it’s shaped around the real needs of staff.
As part of their efforts to achieve net zero by 2045, East Lothian Council has implemented a range of initiatives to reduce emissions from commuting and business travel.
Data-driven approach to workplace travel planning
The council, working with CalCommuter and supported by Travelknowhow Scotland, have worked together to develop a much more data -driven approach to travel planning within the workplace.
CalCommuter is an intelligent commute survey platform that helps organisations understand, reduce, and report their commuting and homeworking emissions. Developed with support from Innovate UK and piloted with East Lothian Council, CalCommuter calculates the cost, time, and emissions of employees’ current commutes and compares them with viable sustainable alternatives.
Understanding staff to unlock behaviour change
In collaboration with CalCommuter, Travelknowhow Scotland have supported East Lothian Council in its aim to take a more personalised approach to travel engagement – focusing not just on the policies, but on the people they’re designed for.
By working together to better understand the individual needs, the council have been able to take these initiatives and really target them where the information needs to go. Tailoring its messages to those that it will benefit most, based on what the survey data has highlighted
Turning initiatives into everyday habits
Travelknowhow Scotland and East Lothian Council focused on bringing greater visibility and clarity to travel initiatives and viable transport alternatives that are available. This included:
Highlighting commuting options based on individual needs
Promoting walking, cycling and public transport support / incentives
Making travel choices feel more accessible and relevant to daily routines
The result? A more targeted approach that provides the workforce with a clearer understanding of their travel options and the impact of their choices, as well how the council can support them to make more sustainable decisions.
“Working with Travelknowhow Scotland has been a brilliant process to be involved in from start to finish. It has given the Active Travel team at East Lothian Council a sounding board to test ideas, interrogate information and work collaboratively with somebody who’s got a little bit of an outsider’s perspective on what we are doing and what we might be able to do better. Just bringing in that external expertise has been very helpful for us to get a really good travel plan in place for the next five years,” said Richard Kerr, Active Travel Officer at East Lothian Council
A model for others to follow
This case study is a great example of what can be achieved when organisations start with people, not just policy. With a strong data- driven approach and the right support, even small shifts in communication and approach can lead to big improvements in how travel behaviour is shaped across the workplace.
Travelknowhow Scotland is excited to share East Lothian Council’s story and hope it inspires more organisations across Scotland to take that next step toward active and sustainable commuting.
To learn more about Travelknowhow Scotland’s free support in your region, contact info@travelknowhowscotland.co.uk or visit travelknowhowscotland.co.uk
