Only 1 in 10 companies are prioritizing sustainable travel.

Companies are doing little to track and reduce carbon emissions in their travel programs, according to two reports published this week.

Research from industry body the Global Business Travel Association and campaign group Transport and Environment says one in 10 companies are taking sustainability seriously when it comes to business travel.

In a poll of nearly 150 travel managers in the U.S., only 8 percent said sustainability was a priority, according to the International Business Travel Association. When asked if their company’s top management made it a priority, only 12 percent agreed.

And only 5 percent of travel managers said implementing sustainability-related practices and policies was a task they spent the most time on.

“However, as the industry (including its customers and partners) prioritizes sustainability and carbon reduction, sustainability can become a major focus,” according to the recently published report How Travel Managers Succeed 2023.

Fearing a looming recession and continued travel complexity, the first priority is “cost savings and managing the traveler experience,” added the report, co-published by corporate travel platform startup Spotna.

The view of the campaign

Meanwhile, 85 per cent of companies worldwide are failing to set targets aimed at reducing corporate travel emissions, according to the campaigner Transport and Environment.

According to the second edition of the Travel Smart campaign ranking, 50 out of 322 companies have set targets to reduce business travel emissions.

Of the companies with targets, only four have committed to reducing emissions by 50 percent or more by 2025 or sooner. Banking firms were Swiss Re, Fidelity International and ABN Amro, as well as pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk.

The campaign highlights how AstraZeneca, Pfizer, Boston Consulting Group and Deloitte are committed to reporting non-carbon emissions related to commercial aviation. This includes aspects such as nitrous oxides, sulfur dioxide and water, as well as particulate matter (soot), and helps paint a picture of the full impact of the reporting process.

These emissions are estimated to account for two-thirds of the increase in global warming, but few companies calculate, transport and the environment.

“Corporations have turned a blind eye to the harms of flying for work,” says Dennis Auclair, corporate travel manager at Transport & Environment. “Most companies are taking no action on commercial aviation, rendering other travel targets in the fight against climate change meaningless.”

The ranking, published on Wednesday, looked at 322 US, European and Indian companies based on 10 indicators.

The Travel Smart campaign calls on companies to set ambitious targets to reduce corporate travel emissions, switch from air to rail travel and use video conferencing instead of long-haul flights.

Help

The UK Institute of Travel Management last week launched a taskforce to help travel buyers tackle the challenges of meeting their organisation’s sustainability targets, providing practical guidance on designing a responsible travel programme.

It consists of 16 buyer and supplier members who meet regularly to review the current itinerary environment and supplier performance.

“…the subject of sustainable travel practice is so broad that buyers run the risk of becoming overwhelmed and not knowing where to start,” said Kerry Douglas, the institute’s head of programs.

The latest Buyer Priorities Survey found that the biggest challenge buyers face when it comes to managing travel in 2023 is “influencing sustainable practice”.

Photo credit: Only 8 percent of travel managers in the U.S. say sustainability is a top priority.