Business travel

Year on year we are improving our ability to collect transport data, thus showing a disproportionate increase in business mileage.

It is a constant challenge for us to balance the demands for increased transport from growing business activity with our environmental targets. We have begun several projects to reduce harmful emissions from our business mileage. However, we know that we need to review our operations to find ways of cutting the increasing need for transport.

• Our Manx business replaced part of the car fleet with new vehicle models whose emissions improved performance.
• In O2 Germany new business diesel cars were fitted with particle filters where possible, reducing emissions by around 8 per cent.

Our business mileage has increased by 36 per cent this year, because of our growing business. This does not include the effects of all transport as it omits rail and air travel. So we cannot verify whether we have met our stated target of reducing emissions from transport by 5 per cent.

We remain committed to using our own services – such as audio and video conferencing – to cut business travel by O2 employees. During the year we introduced Intraview streaming video communication in our offices, to help reduce the need for travel to corporate briefings.

Following a green travel survey in 2004, we encourage employee car-share schemes in Leeds, Bury and Preston-Brook. These schemes now have 140 participants who are registered and available to car share. 

Business road travel^a and CO₂ emissions^b (tonnes)

a) Data for company car use includes an element of private miles for Germany.

b) Conversion factors used: Medium petrol car (1.4 - 2.1 litres) 1 km = 0.19 kg CO₂; average diesel car 1 km = 0.17 kg (Defra 2005). Dual fuel/LPG vechicles have been assumed to produce approximately 20% less CO2 than diesel vehicles (UK Dept for Transport).