Corporate Knights

Katia Dmitrieva is the online content coordinator at Corporate Knights. Follow her on twitter.

The 20th annual Clean Air Commute is June 18 – 24, a week of fun and competition among workplaces vying for the top spot in a nationwide sustainability contest. During the week, employees walk, cycle, take public transit, carpool or telecommute to work—anything other than drive to work solo. The goal is to improve air quality and reduce traffic congestion, and promote employee health and happiness.

"There are few ways in which companies can more effectively express their public commitment to clean air, to the economic vitality of their community and to a healthy lifestyle than by enabling their employees to participate in this fun-filled, week-long campaign," said Bob Oliver, CEO of Pollution Probe in a press release.

Last year, approximately 19,000 employees from about 200 workplaces participated, logging more than one million kilometers of travel by alternative modes of transportation and preventing the release of more than 480 tonnes of air pollutants over one week. That’s a lot, folks.

Launched in 1993, the Clean Air Commute was the first program of its kind in Canada. Participants track how they "clean air commute" to work by filling out an online tracking tool that totals the weight of pollutants that they keep out of the air while using alternatives to driving alone. All participants are eligible for a range of prizes and awards that celebrate individual and workplace achievement.

Imagine if people could do this every week, rather than just once per year.

Want to get involved?

1. Decide that the people in your workplace heart clean air.

2. Designate a coordinator at your workplace.

3. Your coordinator visits www.cleanaircommute.ca to register your workplace.

4. Breathe easier.