Reducing traffic’s greenhouse gas emissions is in a significant part of Finnish climate policy at the moment. All means are needed to reduce traffic emissions. One of the tools is commuting to work with sustainable modes of travel: by walking, biking, public transport, ridesharing, various mobility services, or combining sustainable modes of transport to car trip. For everyone and everywhere this is not possible, but especially in larger cities, the supply of sustainable modes of transport is in a good level.

On the other hand, lack of exercise is one of the most significant cause for degradation of working ability of working-age people. Did you know that most of all journeys of Finnish people is made to workplace, but less than one fifth is made by foot or bike? Car is used even in very short trips, which were suitable for walking or cycling. Average length of way to work is 16 kilometers, but 47% of Finns uses car even on a 1-2-kilometer commutes. Even if the commute is less than a kilometer, a quarter of the working people uses car.

Promoting active commuting and investing in sustainable modes of transport provides a tool for this. By investing in commuting, workplaces can contribute to the well-being of their employees, while at the same time fulfilling their own social responsibility in the field of climate change.

HUPMOBILE and Aalto University are involved in Smartly to work -forum with representatives from civil service, municipality field, trade and industry, organizations and research and developer quarters. These organizations are involved in the forum: Ministry of Transport and Communications, Ministry of Education and Culture, Ministry of Employment and the Economy, Ministry of the environment, STTK, SAK, Service Union United PAM, Technology industry, Sitra, cities of Jyväskylä and Lahti, Growth Corridor Finland, UKK Institute, Motiva, Helsinki Region Transport, Finnish Road Safety Council, Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, Finnish Transport and Communications Agency Traficom and Kunnossa kaiken ikää -programme.

The forum aims to identify obstacles of sustainable and active commuting and find ways to dismantle them. The forum also works as a facilitator of the cause in Finland. At the same time co-operation between public authorities and different actors in the labor market will be strengthened.

More info about the theme: www.fiksustitoihin.fi