Cars still dominate commuter transport in many countries globally despite the environmental impact, a new study has revealed.

Daily commutes make up approximately 13% of people’s total carbon emissions; more than food (12.2%) and shopping (7.8%)

Released by Enfuce and Deedster to mark Earth Day 2024, the research finds daily commutes make up approximately 13% of people’s total carbon emissions; more than food (12.2%) and shopping (7.8%).

The data, collected from 130,549 individuals across 50 countries, also reveals that cars still dominate commuter transport, with 23.1% of commuters opting to drive their car for work, followed by bike riders at 16.4%, walking 15.9% and just 7.7% for trains.

The data also highlights disparities across European countries, with Finland, Denmark, and the Netherlands showing higher rates of car commuting. Notably, Norway stands out, with 43.8% of commuters relying on cars, yet electric vehicles account for a remarkable 49% of this figure.

Car travel is also higher than the survey average for UK commuters, with 33.7% of Brits commuting to work by car, split between petrol-powered (50%) and diesel (33%) vehicles. On average, UK commuters cover 8,021km (4,984 miles) per year by car, meaning each driver contributes nearly a tonne of CO2 emissions per year.

The data has been published by payment processing firm Enfuce and climate action platform  Deedster to raise awareness around the global environmental impact of daily commutes and business travels.

The two firms joined forces in December 2023 as part of Enfuce’s commitment to spearheading ESG in the payments space and beyond, with a focus on climate action and employee empowerment.

Monika Liikamaa, co-founder and Co-CEO of Enfuce, said: “This data shows that we all need to pull our weight to help reduce commuter emissions. When it comes to ESG, we have to walk the walk and increase our efforts to make our business operations more sustainable. This also means equipping our workforce with the knowledge and tools to reduce their carbon footprint and commute consciously, ensuring every journey counts towards a sustainable future. I’m excited to have Deedster at our side to support us in our mission to build a more sustainable future.”

Monika Martinsson, co-founder and head of growth at Deedster, added: “Travel and commuting are two major parameters that build up an individual footprint of a European professional, next to diet preferences, domestic electricity usage and savings. Our theory of change emphasises learnings and actions to create awareness of the climate crisis and following that a change in mindsets and norms among citizens, professionals, and consumers. We are excited about our partnership with Enfuce that allows us to spread awareness and engagement to employees but also to professionals working with card transactions and CSRD reporting. By enriching transactions with carbon data, we create transparency and awareness far beyond our current reach.”