Sustainable mobility plans: what the new regulation demands from companies

From recommendation to obligation

For years, workplace sustainable mobility plans were a voluntary good practice tied to corporate responsibility policies. The new regulatory framework changes the approach: workplaces above certain headcount thresholds must draft, approve and keep updated a mobility plan with verifiable targets for reducing commuting-related emissions.

The relevant change is not documentary but operational: the regulation demands data. Without reliable measurement of how, when and from where people commute, the plan is a writing exercise unable to prove compliance to an inspection or to a client auditing its value chain.

What a defensible plan must contain

A plan that withstands external review includes four blocks:

• Diagnosis of current mobility: staff survey, origin-destination analysis and modal split.
• Calculation of the carbon footprint linked to commuting.
• A prioritised catalogue of measures, with owner and budget.
• An indicator system with periodic review.

The most effective measures are rarely the flashiest. Adjusting start times, consolidating shared transport routes, structuring remote work on the most congested days or revising the fleet policy usually have more impact than installing charging points without analysing real demand.

The link with sustainability reporting

Employee commuting is part of scope 3 of the carbon footprint. This means the mobility plan does not live in isolation: it feeds the same data that later appears in the sustainability report, in client questionnaires and in public tenders with environmental criteria.

When each area calculates on its own, different figures appear for the same concept. The recommendation is simple: a single source of data, a documented methodology and traceability that allows any figure to be reconstructed six months later.

Where to start

Before committing investment, a short diagnosis is advisable: how many workplaces fall within scope, what data already exists (time tracking, mileage payroll, fleet management) and what is still missing. In two or three weeks you can have a picture precise enough to decide with judgment.

The regulation sets the minimum. Companies that use it well turn it into real savings on commuting and fleet costs, and into a better position in procurement processes where environmental criteria already score.