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Mobility and carbon footprint
4th of March 2026 Article by Christian Bouzols
Reporting from France, Christian Bouzols on how cleaning firms are facing challenges to mobility.
Faced with mobility challenges, cleaning companies are rethinking their practices. Optimising travel, renewing their fleets and finding alternative solutions... they are stepping up their initiatives. Between economic constraints, regulatory requirements and environmental imperatives, they are seeking the right balance while supporting their teams and meeting customer expectations.
This is a major challenge for cleaning companies on several levels: environmental, regulatory and economic. The climate emergency requires us to continue reducing CO2 emissions. It is also an important issue because it directly impacts employees’ working conditions and is increasingly becoming part of customer requirements.
To address these issues, professionals in the sector must develop a sustainable mobility plan that also contributes to their overall performance. Which energy source(s) should be prioritised when renewing the vehicle fleet? How can car use be optimised and an employee travel plan be implemented by studying the areas of operation and commuting routes? Which alternative solutions should be chosen and how can public transport be promoted?
These are all difficult questions for companies to answer, but they are part of the short-term strategic challenges. This is because European climate law sets a target of carbon neutrality by 2050, with two stages: a reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of 55 per cent compared to 1990 levels by 2030, and 90 per cent by 2040.
The transport sector is the largest emitter of GHGs, accounting for one-third of French emissions. Companies have a major role to play, as travel for work purposes, including commuting, is the primary reason for travel. Organisations must therefore work on supporting their employees with regard to on-site and inter-site mobility.
So regulatory obligations have been considered, including the employer mobility plan (PDME). The subject is addressed as part of the mandatory annual negotiations. An employer mobility plan is implemented for companies with more than 50 employees. The vast majority of cleaning companies are directly affected.
At La Pyrénéenne, a cleaning company specialising in transport with 3,000 employees, the mobility plan has already been launched and is implemented when a new employee joins. Employees are asked about their mode of transport so as to continuously update the plan.
However, this procedure can nevertheless be interpreted as a means of surveillance, which could cause additional stress for employees. To reassure employees, several communication channels have been created, including a roadmap, in which the group commits to reducing its carbon footprint by more than 50 per cent by 2030.
Intervals and downtime between sites are major issues: if an employee starts their seven-hour day at 9 am somewhere and resumes work at 4 pm somewhere else, what do they do in the meantime? Today, without digital tools, it is difficult to optimise mobility.
For example, Senef uses employee data such as location, contract type, areas of operation, sites and skills. “Before assigning a job to an employee, there are a number of criteria to consider. Digitisation makes this process faster and more efficient than doing it manually. It should be used as a decision-making tool.”
At La Pyrénéenne, continuous and/or daytime work will continue to be prioritised in order to reduce the fragmentation of shifts and therefore travel, and to encourage the use of public transport. This type of uninterrupted work organisation is the ideal way to naturally reduce carbon footprints. But when it comes to customers, there is still some way to go...
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