From more frequent spells of extreme weather such as heatwaves, to heavy rainfall leading to localised flooding, climate change is impacting our lives every day. ⛈️
As we know, climate change is a result of human activity – predominately our consumption and emissions of fossil fuels – however, there are actions we can take to reduce our impact.
In 2022, transport accounted for 34% of the UK’s carbon dioxide emissions, with the large majority of these emissions being due to road vehicles. 🚗🚗
One way we can help to reduce fossil fuel use and make London a better place to live, work and visit, is to travel more sustainably. More sustainable travel helps us to reduce congestion and air pollution, while improving our personal health and encouraging a thriving economy. Luckily, there are lots of great sustainable options to choose from when travelling around London. 💚
On foot 👣
Walking around London is the greenest and healthiest way of getting around. Walking has been shown to improve our mental and physical health, including lowering the risk of chronic illness. Most transport journeys in London start and end with a walking journey, and for shorter distance journeys end to end, walking is an excellent way to stay active and enjoy the vibrancy of our city at your own pace. 🚶
So, put your best foot forward, mix up your route and see if you can discover a new favourite coffee spot or quiet green space along the way! ☕
Discover leisure routes around London for jogging and casual strolls with Go Jauntly 🏃🏽♀️
Cycling 🚲
For the carbon-conscious commuter or eco-friendly explorer, cycling is undoubtedly an excellent travel option. As well as being great for the planet, it provides numerous wonderful benefits for both your mental and physical health. 🧠
Jump on your bike and discover the city’s Cycleways, a network of safe and efficient bike-friendly routes that stretch across the city.
Santander Cycles
Don’t have a bike of your own or only visiting the city for a short while? Santander Cycles makes this affordable green travel option more accessible. Find docking stations at convenient points around the city. 🚴🏿
Did you know? 💡
Santander Cycles also has a fleet of eco-friendly e-bikes available to use, making it easier to go further. Not to worry – maintenance of our bikes is also conducted with sustainability in mind! Our e-bikes batteries are changed mainly using a special fleet of e-cargo bikes. 🔋
Greener buses 🚍
Due to our ongoing commitment to reduce emissions and improve air quality, London’s 9000-strong bus fleet are now all either low or zero-emission (at the tailpipe), making them a smart choice. Our new Superloop express bus routes mean improved connections and journey times between key outer London town centres and transport hubs too! 👏👏
Did you know? 💡
London has an extensive network of night buses that run every night. When travelling at night, plan your journey beforehand and see if you can take a night bus to reduce the number of individual vehicles on London’s roads. 🌃
Our network 🚇
Of course, London buses are only one of the environmentally friendly public transport options. Travelling by train, Tube, tram, (or even cable car!), are all eco-friendly ways to navigate the city. Choosing public transport over driving your own vehicle is a brilliant way of lowering carbon emissions. 🛣️
From reducing noise pollution to the electrification of services, we are constantly working to create a safer, more inclusive and more sustainable network. Whether you choose to walk, cycle, or travel by public transport, you’re taking direct action to address the climate crisis. 💚
Our sustainability efforts
Find out more about our sustainability efforts and what we are doing to make London greener. 🌎
Discover sustainable travel challenges on the WWF My Footprint app! Download it today, calculate your footprint and join in on our Pedal Power challenge to help build 20 minutes of cycling a day into your travels.
Use our travel tools
💚 Plan a green journey using our journey planner or the TfL Go app.