<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><ns2:project xmlns:ns1="http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk/gtr/api" xmlns:ns2="http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk/gtr/api/project" xmlns:ns3="http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk/gtr/api/fund" xmlns:ns4="http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk/gtr/api/person" xmlns:ns5="http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk/gtr/api/project/outcome" xmlns:ns6="http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk/gtr/api/organisation" ns1:created="2026-07-08T08:44:08Z" ns1:href="http://gtr.ukri.org/gtr/api/projects/38B19A7E-4840-4BE3-A7B0-6E50B1C45840" ns1:id="38B19A7E-4840-4BE3-A7B0-6E50B1C45840"><ns1:links><ns1:link ns1:href="http://gtr.ukri.org/gtr/api/persons/94940B8C-1BDB-403F-86BB-9049087B34F1" ns1:rel="PM_PER"/><ns1:link ns1:href="http://gtr.ukri.org/gtr/api/organisations/6108CB09-0C54-4DBB-8E7C-6AE9E08A5381" ns1:rel="LEAD_ORG"/><ns1:link ns1:href="http://gtr.ukri.org/gtr/api/organisations/BBF085E3-A9A1-4E8F-B0C7-85B9817971DD" ns1:rel="PARTICIPANT_ORG"/><ns1:link ns1:href="http://gtr.ukri.org/gtr/api/organisations/6108CB09-0C54-4DBB-8E7C-6AE9E08A5381" ns1:rel="PARTICIPANT_ORG"/><ns1:link ns1:end="2024-10-31T00:00:00Z" ns1:href="http://gtr.ukri.org/gtr/api/funds/0395BCF1-2F46-4D9D-A2A5-C6B3A6A47C4E" ns1:rel="FUND" ns1:start="2023-11-01T00:00:00Z"/></ns1:links><ns2:identifiers><ns2:identifier ns2:type="RCUK">10080269</ns2:identifier></ns2:identifiers><ns2:title>Commute 2 Net Zero</ns2:title><ns2:status>Closed</ns2:status><ns2:grantCategory>Collaborative R&amp;D</ns2:grantCategory><ns2:leadFunder>Innovate UK</ns2:leadFunder><ns2:abstractText>&amp;quot;Commute2NetZero&amp;quot; (C2NZ) will revolutionise scope 3 category 7 (commute and telecommuting) emissions reduction strategies for East Lothian Council and employers in East Lothian. C2NZ will enhance the existing data-driven digital service, &amp;quot;CalCommuter,&amp;quot; (developed to MVP in Innovate UK FastStart project) which already works out the cost, emissions and duration of current and potential commutes for individual employees allowing employers to benchmark, and then provide personalised incentives for commute emission reduction.

Before piloting with at least three large employers in East Lothian (East Lothian Council, Queen Margaret University, and Charles River Laboratories and others participating in the Workforce Mobility project), the Commute2NetZero project will enhance the CalCommuter MVP in three key ways: Firstly, working with East Lothian Council's Sustainability and Climate-Change team to accurately capture telecommuting patterns and emissions for each employee, enabling the calculation of their heat and energy emissions associated with telecommuting. Secondly, the team will develop an automated data visualisation dashboard for commute and telecommuting emissions data, providing comprehensive insights for employers and facilitating the targeting of NetZero commuting and heat/energy reduction incentives to specific employees based on their CalCommuter results. Lastly, it will open up commute and telecommute data for use by East Lothian Council and other public bodies and researchers, supporting the design of better NetZero policies and sustainable travel initiatives. Opening up data will enable collaborative understanding and working between stakeholders to develop creative and impactful interventions and monitor their impacts and outcomes.

Our solution goes beyond traditional commute planning tools by incorporating telecommuting emissions analysis, which is particularly relevant in the post-COVID remote work landscape. The innovation lies in features such as personalised cost calculations for employee commutes, automated visualisation of commute and telecommute data, and personalised emission reduction interventions. This holistic approach allows employers to identify emission hotspots, prioritise interventions in line with NetZero policy objectives, and target specific NetZero initiatives based on each employee's actual commute and teleworking options.

By promoting initiatives tailored to employee needs, such as cycle-to-work schemes for those with a valid cycle commute option, workplace parking and work from home policies for those without sustainable commute options, or air- and ground-source heat pump grants for those in target areas, we can drive meaningful emission reductions across specific workplaces. Our project supports the goals of East Lothian Council's Climate Change Strategy, the Active Travel Improvement Plan, and the Local Transport Strategy, and addresses the evolving landscape of remote work.</ns2:abstractText></ns2:project>