Active commute CO2 and energy

Add your route to see the CO2 saved and the energy used when you walk or cycle instead of driving.

Your details

Instead of driving I
Distance in
Distance each way
Days a week
Working weeks a year
Your weight
Minutes each way, if you know them (optional)

Cycling 29.0 km a week instead of driving

4.8 kg

CO2 saved each week

  • Over 46 working weeks222 kg CO2
  • Energy each week860 kcal
  • Active minutes each week109 at a typical 16 km/h (217 towards your 150, 145%)

The CO2 figure uses the government's 2024 average car factor of 0.167 kg CO2e per km; a small petrol car is a bit less and a big SUV a lot more. Even one active day a week adds up.

Activity minutes

Does my commute count towards the 150?

Brisk walking and cycling to work both count as moderate activity in the UK Chief Medical Officers guidelines. Add your own minutes each way and the result uses them instead of a typical speed, showing your share of the 150 minute weekly guideline and, for walking, roughly how many steps it adds.

The working

Cycling 3 miles each way, 3 days a week

That is 29 km a week. At 0.167 kg CO2e per car km it saves 4.8 kg of CO2 a week, about 222 kg over 46 weeks. At 10 mph it is 109 minutes of cycling, about 860 kcal.

The car factor

Where 0.167 comes from

The government's 2024 greenhouse gas conversion factors (DESNZ) put an average UK car of unknown fuel at 0.16691 kg CO2e per km from the exhaust. Electric cars are much lower, large petrol cars higher. Fuel production adds a bit more on top, so this is a fair floor.

Making it work

Practical bits

  • Try it one day a week first
  • Ask about Cycle to Work schemes
  • Keep a spare top at work
  • Plan a quiet route on a map app

Read with care

What this cannot tell you

  • Your carReal emissions depend on your car and driving.
  • Bus or trainSwapping public transport saves less CO2.
  • SafetyRoad safety matters more than any sum here.

Questions

Common questions

How much CO2 does cycling to work save?

About 0.17 kg (0.167 kg CO2e) for every km you would have driven in an average car, using the government's 2024 factors.

How many calories does cycling to work burn?

About 290 kcal an hour at an easy commuting pace for an 11 stone rider.

Is walking to work worth it for the planet?

Yes, especially for short trips where cars pollute most.

Sources

Last checked 21 October 2026. Spotted something wrong? Tell us and we will fix it.

Before you push on

New to exercise, or got a heart, lung or joint condition? Have a word with your GP or practice nurse first. Stop and get help if you feel chest pain, faintness or unusual breathlessness, and call 999 if it is severe.

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