Sunderland's Bic scoops top green travel award

Go Smarter to Work, the North East campaign to encourage commuters to use sustainable transport, has awarded its first-ever Platinum Accreditation Award to the North East Business and Innovation Centre (Bic) in Sunderland.

The awards are given to businesses across the region for their ongoing commitment to encouraging their workforces to use walking, cycling, public transport and car sharing on their daily commutes to work.

Gold, silver and bronze awards have been awarded over the last five years, but this is the highest achievement ever made.

David Howell, director of operations at North East Bic, said: “We are absolutely delighted to have been awarded Platinum.

“As an organisation, we have worked hard with Go Smarter to Work since April 2015 and encouraged our employees and tenants to consider making the switch from using their cars for commuting to and from work, to using sustainable modes.

“Sustainable travel has some fantastic benefits for employees in terms of health and fitness, and for the business in the long term. We will continue to innovate different initiatives to continue to encourage this behaviour change.”

Carol Dougherty is workplace travel advisor at Sunderland City Council and delivers the Go Smarter to Work programme in the Sunderland area. She said: “On behalf of the programme, I am thrilled that North East Bic have achieved the first-ever Platinum Award. They have put in some outstanding work and deserve their success,” she said.

Some of the initiatives that North East Bic now has in place include the installation of secure cycle shelters, assisted with grant funding from Go Smarter to Work; and providing electric vehicle charging points, showering facilities and comprehensive travel information for employees, tenants and visitors.

The council’s Go Smarter to Work team has working since 2013 to businesses in the area reduce CO2 emissions and congestion.