As the climate crisis intensifies, many European countries require employers to bear employee bus fares

[Global Times Comprehensive Report] According to a report by the European News Network on the 29th, due to the intensification of the climate crisis, some European countries have begun to require employers to bear employees 'public transportation costs.

According to reports, in Belgium, employers must bear at least 75% of employees 'public transportation expenses; in France, the government has introduced a mandatory reimbursement policy stipulating that employees are entitled to reimbursement of at least 50% of public transportation expenses; in Vienna, Austria, public transportation is free for all government employees, while non-government employees are entitled to reimburse transportation expenses from home to company in the form of tax exemptions. In addition, Luxembourg has implemented free public transportation since 2020, while major cities such as Montpellier in France and Tallinn in Estonia have also adopted the same policy. On the other hand, although many countries represented by Italy, Germany and the Netherlands do not have clear laws stipulating that employers must bear the transportation costs of employees, many local companies still take the initiative to bear this expense.

Euronews Network said that reducing public transportation fees for employees is not only good for the environment, but also encourages employees to come to the office more frequently, thereby improving office culture. This approach can also reduce the number of parking spaces companies need.

According to reports, although the EU has made a series of efforts to reduce emissions, the transportation industry is still a stumbling block in the EU's efforts to achieve environmental goals. A report released by the EU supervisory body earlier this year showed that carbon emissions from the EU's transportation industry continued to grow, accounting for about 23% of the EU's total carbon emissions in 2021, of which passenger car emissions accounted for more than half. A spokesperson for the European Commission said at the time that the transportation sector must significantly reduce carbon emissions. (Zhou Yang)