{
  "slug": "employee-commute-emissions",
  "title": "Employee Commute Emissions Calculator",
  "heading": "Employee Commute Emissions Calculator",
  "category": "other",
  "url": "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/employee-commute-emissions",
  "summary": "Scope 3 commuting emissions across your workforce's commute modes.",
  "description": "Employee commuting is a Scope 3 category under the GHG Protocol and, for office-heavy companies, it's often one of the larger line items in the inventory once you exclude purchased goods. This calculator estimates total annual commute emissions by combining headcount, average one-way commute distance, days in office, and the mode split (drive-alone, carpool, transit, bike/walk) across your workforce. It applies EPA per-mile emission factors adjusted for vehicle occupancy, since a car with two occupants halves the per-person emissions of driving alone. Companies use this number for CDP Scope 3 Category 7 disclosures and to model the emissions impact of remote-work policy changes or a transit subsidy program — cutting in-office days from five to three typically cuts commute emissions by close to 40%, which is often bigger than any single facilities-side reduction project.",
  "formula": "Annual miles = employees × round-trip miles × days/week × 52. Emissions = Σ(miles by mode × per-mile factor ÷ avg occupancy).",
  "dateModified": "2026-09-30",
  "run_url": "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/api/public/calc?tool=employee-commute-emissions",
  "inputs": [
    {
      "id": "employees",
      "label": "Employees commuting",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 300,
      "unit": null,
      "min": 1,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "roundTripMiles",
      "label": "Average round-trip commute",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 24,
      "unit": "miles",
      "min": 0,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "daysWeek",
      "label": "In-office days per week",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 3,
      "unit": null,
      "min": 0,
      "max": 7
    },
    {
      "id": "driveAlonePct",
      "label": "Share driving alone",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 70,
      "unit": "%",
      "min": 0,
      "max": 100
    },
    {
      "id": "carpoolPct",
      "label": "Share carpooling (avg 2.2 occupants)",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 10,
      "unit": "%",
      "min": 0,
      "max": 100
    },
    {
      "id": "transitPct",
      "label": "Share using transit",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 15,
      "unit": "%",
      "min": 0,
      "max": 100
    }
  ],
  "outputs": [
    {
      "id": "totalTons",
      "label": "Total annual commute emissions",
      "format": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": true
    },
    {
      "id": "perEmployeeKg",
      "label": "Per-employee emissions",
      "format": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "driveTons",
      "label": "From driving alone",
      "format": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "transitTons",
      "label": "From transit",
      "format": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "bikeWalkPct",
      "label": "Share biking/walking/other",
      "format": "percent",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    }
  ],
  "worked_example": {
    "inputs": [
      "Employees commuting: 300",
      "Average round-trip commute: 24 miles",
      "In-office days per week: 3",
      "Share driving alone: 70 %",
      "Share carpooling (avg 2.2 occupants): 10 %",
      "Share using transit: 15 %"
    ],
    "outputs": [
      "Total annual commute emissions: 361.9",
      "Per-employee emissions: 1,206",
      "From driving alone: 317.6",
      "From transit: 23.59",
      "Share biking/walking/other: 5%"
    ]
  },
  "how_to": {
    "title": "How to use this",
    "steps": [
      "Enter employees commuting.",
      "Enter average round-trip commute (miles).",
      "Enter in-office days per week.",
      "Enter share driving alone (%).",
      "Enter share carpooling (avg 2.2 occupants) (%).",
      "Enter share using transit (%).",
      "Read your total annual commute emissions on the right — it updates as you type.",
      "Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone."
    ]
  },
  "scenarios": [
    {
      "name": "Conservative",
      "description": "Lower-end numbers — what if things land soft?",
      "values": {
        "employees": 180,
        "roundTripMiles": 14,
        "daysWeek": 1.7999999999999998,
        "driveAlonePct": 40,
        "carpoolPct": 5,
        "transitPct": 10
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "Typical",
      "description": "Defaults — the most common real-world setup.",
      "values": {
        "employees": 300,
        "roundTripMiles": 24,
        "daysWeek": 3,
        "driveAlonePct": 70,
        "carpoolPct": 10,
        "transitPct": 15
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "Ambitious",
      "description": "Higher-end numbers — what if things really pop?",
      "values": {
        "employees": 480,
        "roundTripMiles": 38,
        "daysWeek": 4.800000000000001,
        "driveAlonePct": 100,
        "carpoolPct": 15,
        "transitPct": 25
      }
    }
  ],
  "limitations": [
    "Estimates assume standard, average conditions — local rules, pricing, and materials vary.",
    "Results are rounded for readability; add a buffer before ordering, booking, or committing.",
    "Double-check anything with a real cost attached against a local quote."
  ],
  "faq": [
    {
      "q": "How do I get accurate mode-split data instead of guessing?",
      "a": "Run an annual commute survey — most companies use a short anonymous form asking mode, distance, and days in office. Even a 60-70% response rate gives a defensible estimate; extrapolating from parking lot counts and transit subsidy usage can supplement gaps in survey coverage."
    },
    {
      "q": "Why does carpooling get divided by 2.2, not 2?",
      "a": "EPA commuter survey data shows average carpool occupancy (driver plus passengers) runs around 2.2 people, not exactly 2, because some carpools include 3+ riders. Dividing total driving emissions by that average occupancy is the standard way to allocate per-person emissions fairly across a shared vehicle."
    },
    {
      "q": "Does remote work actually reduce this meaningfully?",
      "a": "Yes, and close to linearly with days-in-office — cutting from 5 to 3 in-office days cuts commute emissions by roughly 40%, since the formula scales directly with days per week. It's usually the single largest lever a company has over Scope 3 commuting without capital investment in transit subsidies or EV charging infrastructure."
    }
  ],
  "related": [
    "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/scope1-2-emissions",
    "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/ghg-scope3-travel",
    "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/supply-chain-emissions-intensity"
  ],
  "license": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "citation": "RevenueLab — Employee Commute Emissions Calculator (https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/employee-commute-emissions)"
}