Internal carbon pricing mechanisms, setting public emission reduction targets and sustainability clauses in supplier contracts are among the “leading” sustainability practices identified in a benchmarking study published on Monday by the Global Business Travel Association Foundation.
The report, based on interviews with 12 “sustainability leaders from global companies that rely on business travel to successfully conduct their business,” named those approaches as “ambitious” strategies currently implemented but that followed a “building block” process that began with simpler steps. For example, carbon budgets or fees can be built from a travel and expense policy that asks travelers to look for lower-carbon options and weigh the necessity of travel. Sustainability clauses can stem from questions in the request-for-proposals process, according to the study.
“One of the biggest challenges for achieving more sustainable business travel is knowing how to build the path and the program to get there,” GBTA Foundation managing director Delphine Millot said in a statement. “We went to companies and leaders in sustainability to bring forth best practices and insights that can help any company seeking to travel greener and better.”
Regardless of their current capabilities, the report suggests that companies get started in sustainability work now rather than wait for “perfection” from available emissions data. The report also advises companies to strive for a combination of “quick wins” alongside longer-term investment, to localize strategies based on infrastructure and cultural differences and to collaborate with procurement and sustainability teams as well as travelers for their programs.
