Where pandemic and going green collide. Before this virus got up on the world stage we were all thinking about how to save our planet from climate change and pollution.  The Chancellor even set a budget aimed at encouraging us all into electric vehicles and getting more petrol and diesel vehicles off the road, then cam social distancing and our incentive to go green has taken a back seat to our perception of safety.

A survey of 1,500 people in the UK by consultants SYSTRA came out yesterday 30 April. The results are not so much a shock as re-enforcement of what most of us have been suspecting, coming out of lockdown will mean an end to the fresh air and the quiet roads we have all come to enjoy with more people taking to their cars than public transport.

The survey predicts a 40% reduction in public transport use such as tubes, buses and trams in favour of personal vehicles and an additional 27% reduction expected in rail use.  These figures are not great for our green pursuits but there are other changes in behaviour which could go some way to counteracting potential damage this could cause.  The survey also showed that 24% said they plan to work from home more often and 67% believe that video conferencing will now be the preferred method of holding a work meeting.