Sustainable mobility
Leave the car at home more often and use sustainable alternatives!
- Save yourself the hassle of looking for a parking space. Take the train, cycle or, for short distances, why not just walk?
- Cycling and walking not only help protect the climate, but also keep you fit!
- No good connections to the university? Check whether a carpool might be an option for you.
No car, no problem
The transport sector is one of the largest emitters of greenhouse gases. In 2024, it accounted for 22.3 % of total emissions in Germany (Umweltbundesamt, 2026). In Europe, the car remains by far the most widely used mode of transport: in 2024, around 75 % of passenger-kilometres in the EU were travelled by car (European Environment Agency, 2026).
Mobility-related emissions from commuting, business trips, excursions and stays abroad actually account for by far the largest item in h_da’s greenhouse gas balance. These figures illustrate that our mobility behaviour has a significant impact on greenhouse gas emissions. Through our choice of transport, we can directly influence the amount of emissions generated by our daily journeys.
Just how significant this impact can be became particularly clear during the COVID-19 pandemic. In large parts due to the significant drop in transport emissions, daily global CO2 emissions at the height of the lockdown in April 2020 temporarily fell to a level last seen in 2006 (Le Quéré et al., 2020).
Of course, we don’t have to give up using the car for every journey. However, there are often viable sustainable alternatives. The decision to use different modes of transportation for individual journeys can make a difference.
Keep reading on
Umweltbundesamt (zuletzt aufgerufen: 01.10.2026): https://www.umweltbundesamt.de/daten/umweltzustand-trends/verkehr/emissionen-des-verkehrs#verkehr-belastet-luft-und-klima-minderungsziele-der-bundesregierung
European Environment Agency (zuletzt aufgerufen: 01.10.2026): https://www.eea.europa.eu/en/analysis/publications/sustainability-of-europes-mobility-systems
Le Quéré et al. (2020): Temporary reduction in daily global CO2 emissions during the COVID-19 forced confinement, Nature Climate Change, 10, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-020-0797-x