Insee Première · December 2023 · n° 1975

Greenhouse gas emissions due to commuting vary considerably from one place to another

In 2019, in mainland France, a commuter emitted an average of 0.7 tonnes of CO2 equivalent per year when traveling to and from work, taking all modes of transport into account.

Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions due to commuting vary from one place to another. Within functional areas, GHG emissions by residents of the centre decrease with the total population of the functional area, as better public transport systems in bigger cities help to reduce car use. For commuters living in the commuting zones, the size of the functional area has little impact on the average emissions: car use is lower in large cities, thanks to better public transport facilities, but the distance from home to work is longer. Emissions due to commuting are significantly lower (-40% ceteris paribus) in municipalities where subway or tramways are within walking distance.