We at Cleverciti know this, but the everyday citizen may not: Parking has an enormous impact on traffic congestion and the resulting emissions lead to negative environmental impact. Take this statistic for instance: In many cities, more than 30% of traffic is the result of people searching for a parking spot. Can you imagine how much that affects the environment?

So, what can be done? Quite simply, smart parking is the answer. Earlier this month, the German newspaper Der Tagesspiegel wrote a powerful article about the negative impacts of inefficient parking search and found smart parking can make a significant contribution to reducing climate change — saving up to 900,000 tons of CO2.

“This is about half as much CO2 savings as is produced for all flights within Germany,” said FDP member of the Bundestag, Daniela Kluckert, who is in the Tagesspiegel Background. Furthermore, she stated the Federal Government must now stand up for “making smart parking a reality.“

The government in Germany is currently looking for a solution to solve the parking problem, which is an important step forward. Studies find that “Germans currently spend around 41 hours a year looking for a parking space” while the time wasted searching, the fuel required for it and the additional pollution cost Germans more than 40 billion euros per year.

The government is prioritizing the issue but that can take time. In the meantime, we can all work together to solve this problem because what we do every day directly addresses climate change. At Cleverciti, we get excited each time we deploy a parking space management and guidance system because we know we are reducing miles driven, pollution emitted and energy consumed. (And here is a cool fact for you: For every sensor we deploy, the environmental benefit is akin to planting more than 50 trees!)

What can you do today to reduce your impact? Let us know in the comments below. And if you’re ready to make an organizational commitment, contact us to learn more about our solutions.