The in-use annual energy and carbon saving by switching from a car to an electric bicycle in an urban UK general medical practice: the implication for NHS commuters

J. Pierce (), Andrew Nash and Carole Clouter

Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, 2013, vol. 15, issue 6, 1645-1651

Abstract: The UK Climate Change Act (CCA) mandates an 80 % reduction in CO 2 emissions by 2050. It is estimated that 3.2 M tonnes pa CO 2 results from travel-related NHS business. The acquisition of an electric bicycle to replace a car for both commuting and home visits allowed comparison of fuel use and CO 2 emissions over a 4-year period. The switch to the use of the electric bicycle reduced the average annual petrol use by 329 l, the energy consumption by 3,140 kWh and the CO 2 released by 748 kg a year. Wider adoption of electric bicycles in urban General Practice will contribute to the requirements of the CCA though to have a significant effect on the current estimated commuting-related carbon footprint of the NHS (0.76 MT pa) would require two-thirds of the workforce to abandon their cars in favour of electric bicycles. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2013

Keywords: NHS commuting; Carbon footprint of the NHS; Electric bicycles; General Practice (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2013
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (7)

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DOI: 10.1007/s10668-013-9454-0

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