Wellcome Trust Genome Campus Sustainable Travel Programme

The Wellcome Trust Genome Campus has been successful in achieving the Certificate of Continuing Excellence for its Travel Plan for several years and has fulfilled all of its section 106 planning obligations. This reflects the commitment and effort the Green Travel Co-ordinator has put into integrating the travel plan into the culture of the Campus by promoting sustainable travel options to staff and new starters, visitors, tenants’ employees, agents and contractors to the Genome Campus.

In 2002, senior managers at the Trust hoped that the new expansion would be a clear example to its staff, the local community and those whom it funds that it is committed to minimising its environmental impact where possible. Reducing traffic congestion and achieving carbon reductions are enhanced through the travel plan. The Wellcome Trust Genome Campus agreed targets for its travel plan under a planning agreement with Cambridgeshire County Council.

Primary benefits

• Reduction in single occupancy car use from 70% in 2003 to 49% in 2009.
• Shuttle bus usage up from 17% in 2004 to 28% in 2008.
• Annual increase in all staff car sharing shows consistent annualised growth above 3%.
• Improves site accessibility for staff, clients and visitors.
• Bus services operate around employee shift patterns thereby maximising productivity.

Secondary benefits

• The Car sharing scheme reduces the sites carbon emissions.
• Improves recruitment from the local area and reduces absenteeism.
• Increase in health and wellbeing of staff.