Across the UK, car share schemes are becoming an increasingly popular solution, as organisations are rethinking the daily commute. Commuting patterns have a major impact on an organisation’s carbon footprint, particularly when scope 3 emissions, like employee travel, make up the largest share.

While taking public transport or active travel is the most carbon-efficient way to get to work, the way our public infrastructure is arranged, and the demands of certain sectors make it far more difficult to consider these options.

While this applies to many sectors, law firms face a distinct challenge. With multiple offices, long commuting distances, and the need for in-person meetings, car sharing is an area with untapped potential for impact.

What is Car Sharing?

Car sharing is when two or more people travel together in one vehicle rather than driving separately. It can be informal (colleagues arranging to share a lift once or twice a week) or formal (using a matching platform that connects drivers with passengers based on routes and schedules).

The benefits of car sharing go far beyond reducing emissions:

• Lower costs – Fuel, parking, and maintenance expenses are split (saving employers over £1,000 per parking space annually).
• Reduced congestion – Fewer cars on the road mean shorter travel times and less stress.
• Better parking availability – Reduces demand on limited parking spaces, making access fairer for all staff.

Overcoming the Cultural Challenge

Even with clear benefits, participation can be low without the right approach. Common barriers include:

• Inconvenience – Mismatched schedules or last-minute changes.
• Uncertainty – Not knowing who to share with or how to get started.
• Perception – Seeing car sharing as an “extra” rather than a normal part of work life.

To address these challenges, organisations can:

• Provide dedicated parking for car sharers.
• Use a matching platform so employees can find suitable travel partners.
• Post stories of successful car share arrangements to inspire others.
• Link car sharing with wider sustainability efforts, like EV schemes or public transport incentives.

Making Car Sharing Part of Everyday Work

Even when the benefits are clear, participation in car sharing won’t happen automatically. It requires motivation, clear communication, and the right tools to make it easy. Successful programmes combine incentives, gamification, technology, and consistent communications to turn good intentions into real behaviour change.

1. Use incentives that matter
Offer tangible rewards for participation, such as parking priority, monthly prize draws, or discounts at local retailers. Incentives don’t need to be costly either; public recognition in internal newsletters or at staff meetings can be just as powerful in reinforcing positive behaviour.

2. Harness the power of gamification
Turning car sharing into a friendly competition boosts engagement. By awarding points for every shared journey, creating leader boards, and recognising “top sharers” each month, organisations tap into people’s natural drive to achieve and be recognised. This approach works especially well in professional environments, where a bit of healthy rivalry can energise participation.

3. Make it simple with technology
Modern matching platforms like Kinto, MobilityWays, and Team Jump’s car sharing tool remove the guesswork by connecting employees with similar routes and schedules. Features such as in-app messaging, route planning, and impact tracking help make car sharing part of the daily routine.

4. Keep communications fun, relevant, and visible
A well-planned communications strategy keeps car sharing front-of-mind. Share success stories, highlight environmental impact stats, and use visual reminders in communal spaces. The more visible and relatable the scheme, the more likely it is to become a cultural norm rather than a one-off initiative.

By blending rewards, friendly competition, simple tools, and consistent messaging, organisations can overcome initial resistance and make car sharing a natural choice for employees.

Why Law Firms Should Care

Professional services firms often have relatively low operational emissions from their buildings but high indirect emissions from commuting. For regional law firms, where public transport may not always be possible, these schemes can help reduce reliance on single-occupancy vehicles.

Beyond the environmental case, car sharing can support workplace values such as collaboration, care, and responsibility. Especially, when leadership participates, it sends a message: sustainable choices are a part of our culture.

Ready to get your people moving together?

At Team Jump, we help organisations build fun, habit-forming sustainability programmes, complete with car sharing tools to make participation simple and rewarding. Whether you want to pilot a scheme or roll it out across multiple offices, we’ll help you cut carbon, boost engagement, and measure your impact.

Book a free demo to see how our sustainability engagement programmes can work for your team.