A recent workplace satisfaction study has found that tenants living in a sustainable building are not necessarily committed to using environmentally friendly transport options for travelling to and from work.
The Szencorp Building in South Melbourne, Australia's highest rated sustainable building, recently completed its second workplace satisfaction study, which evaluated transport to work, as well as perceived productivity and healthiness and tenant satisfaction with heating, lighting and cooling.
The study found that 61 per cent of tenants were still travelling to work by car despite the building's convenient location close to public transport and the provision of bicycle lock-up facilities, showers and lockers on-site.
Only 11 per cent of tenants cycled to work, 14 per cent caught the tram, 8 per cent travelled by train and 3 per cent walked.
"Compared to our 2006 workplace satisfaction survey, in which 77 per cent of tenants drove and only 5 per cent cycled, we are doing much better at enouraging staff to leave the car at home," said Szencorp Building owner and developer, Peter Szental.
In 2008, Szencorp realised it needed a low emissions car to complement its zero emissions building, so the company developed Australia's first Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle. Staff needing to travel during work hours can use the vehicle, giving them the option of leaving their car at home.
