EN1.2
Business travel: travelling for work (by land)
Environment
- Measuring GHG Emissions
Business travel: travelling for work (by land)
This value applies to business travel in assets that are not owned or directly operated by the company. It includes mileage from employee-owned vehicles, public transportation, rental cars, and similar modes of transport used for business purposes.
Key Value
£252 per tCO2e or 25.2p per kgCO2e
The monetised value of land travel emissions per km is as follows:
- Average sized Petrol Car: 4.1p
- Regular Taxi: 5.2p
- Average Local Bus: 2.7p
- National Rail: 0.9p
This value represents a cost or disbenefit through the creation of the GHGs emitted.
Conversion factors should be used to report Scope 3 emissions for individuals traveling for work purposes. For more information about principles for GHG accounting and reporting and three “scopes” of emissions, please visit MeasureUp EN1 GHG Emissions value.
According to the 2021 carbon values from DESNZ/BEIS, Carbon values in £2020 prices per tonne of CO2: central series for 2023 is £252 per tCO2e or 25.2p per kgCO2e. For more information, please visit MeasureUp GHG Emissions value.
UK government’s Greenhouse Gas Conversion Factors – 2024 reports the kgCO2e per km/miles driven for different type of passenger vehicles. Access the data.
According to GHG conversion factors an average sized car with petrol generates 0.265 kg CO2e per miles.
| Type of vehicle | Unit | KgCO2e | Monetised Value |
| Average sized Petrol Car | km | 0.16450 | 4.1p |
| Regular Taxi | km | 0.20805 | 5.2p |
| Average Local Bus | passenger.km
|
0.10846 | 2.7p |
| National Rail | passenger.km
|
0.03546 | 0.9p |
Please visit the government conversion factors for greenhouse gas reporting website for further guidance.
This value represents a cost or disbenefit through the creation of the GHGs emitted. The value should therefore not be presented as a positive value or added to an overall social value figure.
Please note the following points from the guidance in UK government’s Greenhouse Gas Conversion Factors – 2024
- Users should be mindful of the difference between vehicle km conversion factors and passenger km conversion factors. Vehicle km conversion factors should be applied to a whole vehicle (such as a car or taxi) being used for business purposes. Passenger km factors should be used when single passengers are travelling by means of mass transport (such as by train) and the aim is to report emissions on a single-person basis, not account for the whole vehicle.
- It should be noted that the conversion factors for cars and vans (excluding plug-in electric vehicles) are the same as those in the ‘passenger vehicles’ and ‘delivery vehicles’ listings. Where a car or van is not owned or controlled by the reporting organisation, the vehicles should be accounted for in Scope 3 as opposed to Scope 1, but the conversion factors and their categories remain the same.
- The conversion factors for electric cars are the same as those in the ‘passenger vehicles’ listings PLUS the emissions from the electricity consumption. Where a car is not owned or controlled by the reporting organisation, the vehicles should be accounted for in Scope 3 as opposed to Scope 1 (for petrol/diesel use) and Scope 2 (for electricity use), but the conversion factors and their categories remain the same.
- To avoid double-counting of emissions, do not include activity/emissions resulting from the use of plug-in electric vehicles that are charged predominantly on your organisation’s premises if you are also already reporting the emissions resulting from your electricity consumed there.
Local Needs Analysis Data Source:
To assess local needs related to the value EN1.2 ‘Business travel: travelling for work (by land)’, you can use indicators that show how people commute and how accessible employment centres are by different transport modes. Key data sources include: Method of travel to work (Census 2021)
– Provides detailed information on how people commute (e.g., car, public transport, cycling, walking), available at local authority and MSOA levels. This data is collected every 10 years. Travel time to employment centre by mode of transport
– Offers insight into the accessibility of work opportunities by different transport types. Data will be available for local authority, combined authority, region, and country levels. You can filter data by country, region, combined authority, or local authority, depending on the indicator. Together, these indicators help evaluate the sustainability and efficiency of local commuting patterns and identify areas where investment in transport infrastructure or remote working policies may be beneficial.
Bronze
Effort
Accuracy
Monetised value:
At the Bronze level, you should calculate the approximate km travelled by land. Represent the cost or disbenefit of the emissions from travel by land.
Step 1: Determine the type of the vehicle used to travel for work (e.g. car, taxis, bus and rail)
Step 2: Estimate the approximate distances in km or miles.
Step 3: Multiply the distance by the monetised cost of travel.
Here’s an example
A company aims to report its business travel by land emissions for the meetings over a year.
Step 1: Identify the type of vehicle used in traveling: car, taxis and rail
Step 2: Determine approximate travel distances:
- Car: 2000 km
- Taxi: 1000 km
- Rail: 5000 km
Step 3: Calculate the monetised value of emissions:
Car: 2000*4.1p = 8200p
Taxi: 1000*5.2p = 5200p
Rail: 5000*0.9p = 4500p
Total Monetised value of travel by land for this organisation is £179 over a year.
Silver
Effort
Accuracy
Monetised value:
At the Silver level, you should calculate the approximate km travelled by land, by type of vehicle, as each produces different levels of carbon emissions. Represent the cost or disbenefit of the emissions from travel by land.
UK government’s Greenhouse Gas Conversion Factors – 2024 reports the kgCO2e per km/miles driven for different type of passenger vehicles. Access the data.
- Cars (by market segment): Mini, Supermini, Lower Medium, Upper Medium, Executive, Luxury, Sports, Dual Purpose 4X4, MPV.
- Cars (by size): Small Car, Medium Car, Large Car, Average Car.
- Motorbikes: Small, Medium, Large, Average.
- Taxis: Regular Taxi, Black Cab.
- Buses: Local Bus (Not London), Local London Bus, Average Local Bus, Coach.
- Rail: National Rail, International Rail, Light Rail and Tram, London Underground.
Estimate the equivalent alternative mode of transport being used. For the monetised value times this by the monetised cost of carbon.
Here’s an example
A company aims to report its business travel by land emissions for the meetings over a year.
Step 1: Identify the type of vehicle used in traveling: Average Size Car- Battery Electric Vehicle, International Rail
Step 2: Determine approximate travel distances:
- Average Size Car- Battery Electric Vehicle: 2000 km
- International Rail: 5000 km
Step 3: Calculate the monetised value of emissions:
Average Size Car- Battery Electric Vehicle: 2000* 0.04745*25.2p = 2391p
International Rail: 5000*0.00446*25.2p = 562p
Total Monetised value of travel by land for this organisation is £29.53 over a year.
Gold
Effort
Accuracy
Monetised value:
At the Gold level, you would be expected to
- Measure more accurately using more specific data for you in-scope activities.
- Track the emissions over time. Steps in tracking emissions (choosing a base year and recalculating base year emissions) are explained in detail in the GHG Protocol Chapter 5 – Tracking Emissions Over Time
Record the followings:
- Actual road mileage travelled (e.g. from telemetry data from devices installed in vehicles etc.)
- Actual car size (small, medium, large, sports) and fuel type (petrol, diesel, hybrid, electric)
For freight, measure using litres of fuel and kW/h electricity as a more accurate measurement than miles/km travelled.
Here’s an example
A company reports its business travel by land emissions for the meetings in 2023 as
Average Sized Petrol Car: 2000km*4.1p = 8200p
Regular Taxi: 1000km*5.2p = 5200p
National Rail: 5000km*0.9p = 4500p
Total Monetised value of travel by land for this organisation is £179 in 2023.
Its business travel by land emissions for the meetings in 2024 is
Average Size Car- Battery Electric Vehicle: 2000km* 0.04745*25.2p = 2391p
Regular Taxi: 1000km*5.2p = 5200p
International Rail: 5000km*0.00446*25.2p = 562p
Total Monetised value of travel by land for this organisation is £81.53 in 2024
So, the monetised value of the reduction in greenhouse gas emission from 2023 to 2024 for travel by land is £179 – £81.53 = £97.47.
This can be represented as a positive value to show the mitigation or reduction of carbon, although this should still not be added to an overall positive social value figure as this would mislead that this is positive value creation rather than negative value mitigation.
Gold+
Effort
Accuracy
Monetised value:
In the Gold+ level of GHG emission values, you can focus on better management and improvement of your reporting on the GHG emissions.
The following steps could be useful:
- Set clear targets and a target date
- Provide resources to take the actions necessary to meet your target
Environmental Reporting Guidelines: In the Streamlined Energy and Carbon Reporting Guidance (SECR) there are two types of targets outlined:
- An absolute reduction target which compares absolute figures in the target year to the base year
- An intensity target based in an appropriate other unit or normalising factor (e.g. kgCO2e per km/miles driven)
For more information please visit Environmental Reporting Guidelines: Including streamlined energy and carbon reporting guidance (SECR).
The actions under Gold+ for the environmental values in MeasureUp are also in line with the eighth Principle of Social Value ‘Be Responsive’ which represents the imperative for organisations to respond to impact measurement or ‘Social Value accounts’ with action to improve positive impact and decrease negative impact. Users of this Standard will create a structured ‘impact management approach’ that can guide decision making at strategic, tactical, and operational levels to optimise impacts on wellbeing.
| Value Type: | Activity |
What's this?
This is the type of value. Some values are outcomes, which means many different interventions might lead to them, others are specific interventions that have a set value. |
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| UN SDG Categories: |
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What's this?
The UN Sustainable Development Goals are global goals adopted in 2015 for all signed up nations to achieve for us to have a sustainable global future by 2030. There are 17 Goals that address the global challenges we face, including those related to poverty, inequality, climate change, environmental degradation, peace and justice. The Goals are all interconnected, and in order to leave no one behind, it is important that we achieve them all by 2030. |
| 2020 Social Value Models: |
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What's this?
PPN 06/20 Taking account of social value in the award of central government contracts introduced the Central Government Social Value Model in 2020 which all Central Government contracting authorities must use in their in scope procurements. It consists of 5 themes, 8 policy outcomes, and 24 Model Award Criteria which outline key priority areas to achieve more social value. |
| 2025 Social Value Models: |
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What's this?
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Evidence
Measure Up focuses on empowering you to numerically measure the impact you’re having. We recommend that numeric reports are backed up with stories and other types of evidence to help illustrate, in human terms, the impact that’s being made on individuals.
We recommend seeking consent from participants in your intervention to collect and tell their story. This should include a little background on the participant, a summing up of life before the intervention, the human impact of the intervention, and the longer term (if known) impact on the person’s life outside of, and after, the intervention.
Providing photographs, audio recordings, video interviews or even artefacts from the intervention (for example, writing, paintings, music from creative interventions) can add more to the story, and convey the emotional impact of interventions more directly.
In some cases it’s appropriate to anonymise or abbreviate the personal information of case study participants. No story should be published or shared without the recorded consent of the individual(s) it concerns. Individuals continue to own the rights to their stories and if they request you stop sharing the story or making it available online you should do so promptly and without need for justification.
Feedback
Measure Up is an open, collaborative and transparent. If you have any suggestions or feedback on our pragmatic, recommended approach to measuring and valuing social value, including wellbeing, economic, and fiscal impact, and effects on our environment, please get in touch so we can share and discuss this at our next Advisory Group meeting.
More help
We want to empower anyone to perform and improve their impact measurement – without needing a degree in economics.
If you need any more help, or just someone to do the legwork for you we can help signpost you to software, training and consultancy to help you get to grips with the impact you’re having and value you are creating.
