Each of us has to come to work every day. That makes for a lot of kilometers, which naturally requires energy and leads to emissions.
We have determined an annual figure of 2,311,836 kilometers of commuting to our headquarters at Tettnang-Obereisenbach. This means that all VAUDE employees annually commute a distance equal to over fifty-seven times around the world at the equator.
This shows that a company mobility management plan is an urgent need and extremely important. Since 2012, VAUDE has intensively worked on the issue of commuting and mobility management - not least because parking spaces on the premises have become very scarce.
Instead of investing in more parking, VAUDE is relying on infrastructure and incentives for increasing the number of employees who bike commute (for the eco benefits and for the health benefits), come by bus or carpool to work.
Our goal is to reduce emissions from commuting ten percent by 2015. The outstanding balance of emissions will be compensated for by myclimate and are therefore climate neutral in our CO2 footprint.
The VAUDE bike program not only includes a repair shop with an inner tube vending machine, covered and lit bicycle parking, riding technique and repair courses, and even showers, it also includes eight e-bikes that can be checked out, free of charge, by any employee. Employees can also “refuel” their private eBikes at work.
Our success: more bike commuting kilometers every year!
In our hilly surroundings that are challenging even for ambitious cyclists, the biggest potential for energy and emissions savings comes from carpooling. VAUDE therefore cooperates with www.flinc.org, a social mobility network. VAUDE has its own group for employees so that can quickly and easily offer rides and find rides, free of charge.
In 2014 we thus reduced our commuting kilometers by 29,000 km thanks to carpooling.
Thanks to the initiative of colleagues, two larger carpools to work have formed; for each a VAUDE car has been made available. Colleagues not only save money and free up parking spaces, they also cut down on emissions. The Mobility Lotto also offers incentives for the program – see "incentive mobility Lotto".
These carpools have reduced commuting kilometers by 14,855 kilometers.
The village of Obereisenbach near Tettnang, where the VAUDE company headquarters are located, has long been difficult to reach by public transport. Aside from a school bus that went to the local elementary school, there was no public transportation available. VAUDE wasn’t willing to accept these conditions and therefore initiated a project – see „Creating added value with commitment “.
With success: On October 1, 2013 the Regional Transport Association Bodensee-Oberschwaben (bodo), with the support of the Landkreises Bodenseekreis and a local bus company, established a commuter line that connects Obereisenbach to the nearest train station in Meckenbeuren as well as to Tettnang’s urban transport grid.
People living in the nearest major cities of Friedrichshafen and Ravensburg where many of our employees live are well-connected with Meckenbeuren by train.
Overall, VAUDE employees commuted over 4,778 kilometers by public transport in 2014.
"Access to environmentally friendly mobility"
"Improving access to the city of Tettnang by public transport and to train connections at the Meckenbeuren train station is part of the Local Transport Plan adopted in mid-2011 by the Bodenseekreis (Lake Constance District). Because of the VAUDE initiative, their company headquarters could be included in the new design. Within our county, we want to ensure commuters access to environmentally friendly mobility."
Rupert Mayer, Area Director of School and Public Transport, Bodenseekreis County
