Cycling to Work: TBU’s Employees Cut their Carbon Footprint by Two Tonnes
13. June 2024Each May a challenge is held across the country entitled “Cycling, Walking or Running to Work” with the aim of getting people to do exactly that. The TBU took part this year for the first time, highlighting that sustainability is a priority for the University. In the end, over 100 employees signed up for the initiative, which supports healthy lifestyles and encourages informal social contact between colleagues.
Staff from across the various component parts of the TBU competed in a total of 35 teams. A special breakfast hosted by the organisers was served on the second day for participants. This gave everyone the chance to share their feelings about the project, and a lot of positive feedback was voiced.
A closing event in the U7 Club was held once the challenge was over to celebrate the teams with 100% participation, the most kilometres travelled and those with the best results. Competing in this way helped foster a sense of team spirit and enthusiasm for sport at the faculties and throughout the TBU.
Martina Juříková, Vice-Rector for Internal and External Relations, commented that “In all, the University’s employees covered a distance of 12,600 km in May, equivalent to over 2 tonnes of CO2 otherwise produced by commuting to work by car. To give a better idea – that amount corresponds to the carbon footprint of approximately fourteen return flights between Prague and Milan.”
Anonymised data on their daily trips were entered into a system by the participants during the challenge, and this shall be used to inform future city infrastructure. This means that each participant has shared information that will lead to a cleaner and safer environment for all residents of Zlín.
The aim of the initiative is to encourage those living in towns and cities to use economical and environmentally-friendly means of transport, while also affording them the opportunity to get more movement and lending work days a dose of fun. TBU’s involvement in the initiative, which is run by the Auto*Mat association, also brought another benefit, that of furthering cooperation with the regional authority, non-profit sector and partners.