Measuring the carbon footprint of staff travel is one of the most effective — and often overlooked — steps a business can take in its sustainability journey. With employees returning from summer holidays and routines being re-established, now is the perfect moment to embed new habits and engage your workforce in meaningful climate action.
Below, we answer the key questions businesses often ask about measuring staff travel emissions.
❓ Which Scope Does Staff Travel Fall Under?
Staff travel typically falls under Scope 3 emissions in the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Protocol. These are indirect emissions not produced directly by your company, but occurring as a result of business operations — such as employee commuting, business travel, and supplier activities.
Why does this matter? Because for most organisations, Scope 3 emissions make up the largest proportion of their total footprint — often over 70%. Ignoring staff travel means you’re missing a significant piece of the puzzle.
❓ Why Is Measuring Staff Travel Important?
There are several reasons to measure staff travel:
- Completeness of your footprint – Without including commuting and business travel, your carbon reporting is partial at best.
- Engagement opportunity – Employees are more likely to buy into sustainability initiatives when they see how their daily choices (like transport) make a difference.
- Cost and efficiency – Travel data can highlight opportunities to reduce unnecessary journeys, cut expenses, and encourage smarter working practices.
- Stakeholder expectations – Clients, investors, and regulators increasingly want to see full Scope 1, 2, and 3 reporting. Staff travel is a clear and measurable starting point.
❓ Why Is Now the Right Time to Start?
The return from summer holidays is a natural reset point. Employees are back into their routines, open to fresh approaches, and more mindful about balancing cost, time, and wellbeing.
By embedding a simple process for sharing travel data now, you can:
- Normalise the habit before old patterns return.
- Build awareness of lower-carbon travel choices (car sharing, public transport, cycling, walking).
- Strengthen employee buy-in for your wider sustainability journey.
Small changes in behaviour at this moment can set the tone for the rest of the year.
❓ How Easy Is It to Do?
It’s easier than you think. At Green Circle Solutions (GCS), we provide a simple, user-friendly GCS Staff Travel Calculator that allow employees to input their travel data in minutes — whether daily commutes or business trips.
The tool does the heavy lifting:
- Each employee is emailed their own independent login where they enter basic details about their annual commute (miles, mode of transport, frequency).
- The calculator converts this into accurate carbon data.
- Results can be aggregated to give you a clear picture of your organisation’s travel footprint.
- Each employee will receive their personal carbon footprint report correct
👉 Take a look at the GCS Staff Calculator which is part of the GCS Company Calculator. Simply register via www.greencirclesolutions.eco for a free trial demo version or contact us on hello@greencirclesolutions.co.uk for more information on how to get started.
❓ How Does This Support Overall Footprint Measurement?
Measuring staff travel links directly to your wider carbon accounting and ESG reporting. By including it alongside energy use, supply chain data, and event emissions, you create a holistic view of your organisation’s environmental impact.
This data also supports compliance with frameworks like:
- SECR (Streamlined Energy and Carbon Reporting)
- CSRD (Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive)
- ISO 14001 – Environmental Management Systems
It’s not just about compliance, though — it’s about credibility. Demonstrating that you measure all significant impacts shows stakeholders you take sustainability seriously.
❓ What Can You Do Next?
Once you have the data, you can use it to shape meaningful action to reduce emissions. Examples include:
- Cycle-to-Work schemes – Encourage active travel and employee wellbeing.
- Public transport incentives – Season ticket loans, discounts, or rewards for lower-carbon choices.
- Remote/hybrid work policies – Reduce the need for commuting where practical.
- Car share schemes – Cut costs and emissions for those who need to drive.
- Awareness campaigns – Share collective progress, celebrate improvements, and highlight employee stories.
These initiatives not only reduce emissions but also strengthen employee engagement, wellbeing, and loyalty.
❓ How Does This Engage Employees in the Bigger Sustainability Journey?
Staff travel is personal. When employees log their journeys, they see their own impact. This creates a mindset shift — from seeing sustainability as an abstract business goal to something they actively influence.
By starting with staff travel, you:
- Make sustainability tangible and relatable.
- Show that every action matters.
- Lay the groundwork for wider initiatives around energy, waste, supply chain, and more.
✅ Final Thoughts
Measuring the carbon footprint of staff travel is a quick win for any business starting out on their sustainability journey. It’s simple to set up, delivers useful data, engages employees, and supports credible reporting.
Start small, build momentum, and keep the conversation going. The habits you embed now can create lasting impact.
👉 Watch our explainer video on YouTube
👉 Try the GCS Carbon Calculator for free today simply register and see how easy it is to measure your team’s travel footprint.