How e-bikes can and should be part of the drive towards better corporate ESG policies
With environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues now placed at the forefront of many corporate agendas, it is easy to be sceptical about the actual actions taken forward versus publicly voiced sustainable intentions. At times it has felt like many have addressed what is necessary to “tick the ESG box” but without a genuine plan to achieve and be accountable for these policies. As a British electric bicycle (e-bike) manufacturer, we have become a go-to resource within the active transport sector, promoting sustainable active transport and advising on sustainable transport strategies for corporate and public sector businesses across the UK. Based in central London, we have significant coverage and capacity to advise, create and install sustainable active transport solutions to align with the goals of sustainable corporate policies. Businesses can benefit from using a company with sector expertise to inform and create policies that work for their employees and their business needs. At VOLT, we have seen businesses large and small gain from this, from tech start-ups to the NHS.
It is reassuring that ESG intentions are now visibly translating into real action for many corporations. Recently we have seen significant positive cultural changes within organisations that, as a result, are driving forward sustainable agendas to make a real difference. This agenda has become so crucial for many that it is imperative to demonstrate positive action for a company’s external image and its employees’ sustainable values. An employee’s decision to work at a company is now often heavily influenced by the ESG values the company demonstrates. The sustainable plan is not only about how you are viewed externally by the public and your clients; it is also about how your employees feel you value them and how they see you esteeming your position within the sector.
Over the last decade, we have all witnessed a considerable ESG movement, which has visibly accelerated in the previous five years, with momentum now at an unprecedented pace. It is thrilling to be a manufacturer so closely linked with this critical sector; and to be a source of advice, solutions and products that provide an infrastructure to help businesses achieve their sustainable transport goals.
Nevertheless, with the speed of growth can come mistakes and the last thing any company wants is to be accused of box-ticking or, even worse, greenwashing. In our experience, companies generally want to do the right thing. We have designed transport solutions at VOLT for entities of all sizes and scales. It is now a plan with focus and momentum.
ESG aligns with the lifestyle choices of such a significant percentage of our population that failing to be proactive in this arena will undoubtedly be detrimental to businesses. How aligned a business is with the core values of a potential employee will and already is influencing employment choices. If employers don’t act on their ESG obligations, they run the risk of staff moving to organisations more aligned with their ideals.
As part of a well-managed ESG policy, it is evident that ‘Cycling as Transport’ is a highly accessible and sustainable direction for corporations seeking to improve their carbon footprint and achieve their net-zero goals. By implementing sustainable policies around active transport, corporations are adding substantial value to the well-being of their employees whilst reaping the sustainable benefits of providing and making accessible a wholly sustainable active transport mode.
Promoting and facilitating active transport within an organisation sends a powerful message to the outside world and your employees. A two-year research study with 4000 participants from six major cities, including London, concluded in 2021 that if the average city dweller switched from car to bike for one day per week, they would reduce their carbon footprint by half a ton of CO2 per year – the equivalent of a London to New York one-way flight. If this trend were replicated by one in five urban residents across Europe, there would be an eight per cent reduction in emissions from all car travel. E-bikes offer a compelling, affordable and accessible carbon-reducing, fitness-enhancing transport solution to support your ESG policies and staff wellbeing. With multiple buying solutions, tax-free options for employees, government subsidies for businesses, short-term rental options, and fully inclusive service and maintenance packages, we’re now in the midst of a corporate and public sector behavioural shift transforming how people transport themselves. Now is the time to add e-bikes to your ESG policy.