Elia: a trailblazer of sustainable mobility

Elia is a major player in the energy sector and is responsible for electricity transmission on Belgium's high-voltage grid. The company employs over 1,400 people throughout the country and sets great store by its employees' mobility. By constantly innovating and adapting its mobility options, Elia offers its workforce flexible and environmentally friendly transport solutions.

Elia is a high achiever when it comes to mobility. By as early as 2011, the company had devised a mobility plan based on three pillars, namely making fewer journeys, promoting other forms of mobility and consuming less. These pillars still form the cornerstone of Elia's many initiatives.

Cycling to work

For Elia, sustainable and efficient mobility starts with the location of its work sites. These must always be easily accessible by public transport. "Other environmentally friendly modes of transport are also encouraged," says Jennifer Vander Elst, Compensation & Benefits Specialist at Elia.

A range of initiatives encouraging cycling have been developed. Those who cycle to work are given all the safety and other equipment they need and if they wish they can take cycling lessons to learn how to get to work safely, including the best routes to take. Lastly, Elia's five administrative sites have all the infrastructure needed for cyclists: showers, lockers, parking areas, charging facilities for electric bikes and even a small workshop to maintain and repair bikes.

Combi-mobility

Employees can put part of their car allowance towards a bicycle and will enjoy the same benefits: comprehensive insurance, breakdown assistance and a voucher for maintenance and repairs. These are crucial to guaranteeing employee safety.

In addition to an electric or normal bicycle, Elia employees can opt for a Speed Pedelec, a cargo bike or a folding bike, with the latter, for example, being extremely useful for those who want to combine two modes of transport by cycling to the train station and then taking the train to work. Elia also offers other flexible solutions.

What about electric cars?

There are also a series of environmentally friendly initiatives for those who travel to work by car. The range of electric company vehicles has expanded enormously over the past year, so employees can choose from the full range of electric cars on the market falling within their budget. Elia gives employees the option to charge their electric vehicles at home, at work or via an external network. "A new starter, so someone who has just graduated and is beginning their career at Elia, can now opt for an all-electric company car. They can also take advantage of driving lessons to learn how to drive in a way that has less of an impact on the environment," adds Jennifer.

Mobility in the time of coronavirus

The coronavirus crisis has, of course, also impacted mobility at Elia. “We have noticed employees prioritising individual transport during the crisis," explains Jennifer. “This is why we have put as much effort as possible into our bicycle and electric car solutions this year. Even if you prefer individual mobility, it's still possible to make very sustainable choices."

Although working from home was already common practice at Elia before the pandemic, it has naturally become even more important in recent months. The company will continue to encourage working from home until the end of 2020 and beyond.

Mobility Week

Like every year, Elia is taking part in this year's Mobility Week, although the 2020 event will be online and have a modified programme.

“We'll be giving an online talk about our future mobility initiatives as well as creating a vlog to showcase the different mobility solutions offered by Elia,” reveals Jennifer. In September, the company will also challenge its employees not to come to work by car for a fortnight. Elia hopes this challenge will convince employees to opt for sustainable alternatives.

As you can see, Elia is a high achiever when it comes to mobility. The system operator has understood that a company wanting to remain attractive has to stand out in terms of mobility.

Metro, 2020