PULSE Commitment to Sustainable Mobility
According to calculations by the French Environment and Energy Management Agency (ADEME), traveling by train pollutes on average 32 times less than traveling by car, and 23 times less than traveling by plane. (Quel moyen de transport pollue le plus ? - L'empreinte baroudeuse)
The frequent travel of the PULSE team across Europe—often by plane—has raised concerns about the carbon footprint of our missions. In 2022, in line with the values promoted by PULSE, we chose to formalize our approach by developing the PULSE Commitment to Sustainable Mobility. This framework aims to guide Erasmus+ staff mobility and ensure it is carried out in a more environmentally responsible manner.
The PULSE Commitment to Sustainable Mobility is built around three core pillars: Replace, Measure, and Compensate.
REPLACE
Discussing sustainable mobility naturally brings attention to the environmental impact of travel. The primary goal of the PULSE Commitment to Sustainable Mobility is therefore to promote low-impact transportation options and reduce our overall carbon footprint. Trains, carpooling, and buses are considered environmentally friendly modes of transport, as they produce relatively low levels of greenhouse gas emissions. Whenever possible, employees are encouraged to choose one of these alternatives to reach their destination.
Which mobility option should you choose and when?
When the door-to-door travel time by train does not exceed the travel time by plane (which corresponds to the time of boarding + flight + disembarking), the traveler must choose the train.
When the train journey does not exceed 5 hours, the employee must use this means of transport.
When the journey exceeds 5 hours, the person may choose their means of transport, although soft mobility remains the preferred option.
If the traveler takes a plane, they could still decide to select a non-stop flight to minimize their carbon footprint, while being aware that the cost of the trip may be affected—as long as the difference between the flight with or without a stopover does not exceed €100.
MEASURE
To evaluate the relevance and impact of the PULSE Commitment to Sustainable Mobility on the organization, each employee is asked to record the carbon footprint of their trips in a dedicated tracking table.
This table includes the following categories:
Means of transport used
Location and distance (between city of origin and destination)
Additional cost of sustainable mobility observed
Tons of CO2 emitted during the journey (using the simulator https://agirpourlatransition.ademe.fr/particuliers/bureau/deplacements/calculer-emissions-carbone-trajets)
Difference between tons of CO2 for the two types of transport (train vs. plane)
This will provide an initial assessment of the overall CO² emissions from mobility and enable compensatory measures to be considered.
COMPENSATE
Finally, since employee well-being during travel is a priority, the PULSE Commitment to Sustainable Mobility can only be implemented when alternative modes of transport do not significantly complicate the journey. In cases where air travel is the only feasible option, the aim is to offset its carbon impact through a “carbon contribution.” For example, PULSE is considering a partnership with another organization to plant trees, based on the volume of emissions generated (measured in tons of CO₂).
