SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF BRITS WANT TO SWITCH TO E-SCOOTERS TO COMBAT CLIMATE CHANGE, STUDY FINDS
A significant number of Brits want to help tackle climate change by switching to e-bikes and e-scooters, a new study has found.
Research commissioned by micromobility provider Tier, carried out by Opinium, found that almost a third of British people would switch to light electric vehicles (LEVs) to reduce their carbon footprint.
The study consisted of a survey of 2,100 adults across 14 UK cities, with 38% of participants saying they would switch to greener transport to cut their emissions, and 28% specifically choosing to switch to e-bikes or scooters.
Georgia Yexley, general manager at Tier, said: “To tackle climate change, it’s crucial we seriously move the dial on transport emissions. The founding mission of Tier is to do just that by encouraging the use of more sustainable transport options, so it’s fantastic to see people right across the UK prepared to switch to greener transport to reduce their carbon footprint.
“The appetite for green transport is clearly there, but it’s not as simple as just introducing the vehicles to UK streets and expecting the problem to solve itself. If we are to drive down emissions on the scale necessary to tackle climate change, we need the right regulatory frameworks and physical infrastructure in place, and a determined effort to encourage widespread, sustained behaviour change. Only then can we truly tackle the greatest global threat we face.”
Berlin-based mobility brand Tier runs LEV rental schemes across Europe including London and Paris, the Middle East, and North America.
The latest research into climate change attitudes also found that changing transport habits was a more popular option than reducing meat intake (30%), or taking fewer flights (26%).
Reducing household energy use (51%) was the most popular option.
Currently 28% of respondents said they use a car or van to get around every day, but the majority said they would be willing to use an e-bike or scooter to replace one in four of those trips, if they had a local rental scheme.
People in Scotland were most likely to cut their carbon footprint by switching to greener transport, with 43% looking to change their travel habits, followed by Londoners (42%), people in the East Midlands and the South West (both 39%), and the North East (36%).