Jason Geall, vice president and general manager for Northern Europe at Amex GBT, recently described environmental sustainability as “quite rightly, high on the corporate agenda,” adding that corporations must “face up to the reality of climate change.” As governments, corporations and consumers take action, it seems clear the corporate travel industry will have to demonstrate its green credentials as well.
For many in business travel, action began more than a decade ago, but then the financial crisis of 2007-2008 hit and many of the initiatives went by the wayside. In January, results of a survey of corporate travel buyers, released by the Business Travel Show, revealed that 60% of buyers do not manage ethical travel programs and 83% of programs do not offset air-related carbon emissions.
According to U.K. economic relations program director Peter Frankental, the research is further evidence that “too many businesses have their head in the sand when it comes to reducing their carbon footprint.”
Eric Bailey, global director of travel, VenueSource and payment at Microsoft, says employees are excited about his company’s climate change initiatives.
“We feel it is something we need to do and whether it’s good for business directly is secondary,” noted Bailey. “Corporates are now seeing that this is not an optional thing. It’s not about the best short-term financial investment; investors need to be looking at it from the long-term perspective and overall benefit. Looking at this quarter’s stock price is not necessarily the most important investment or what you’re going to make this month or this quarter. It’s what’s going to be the most sustainable for your company, long-term.”
“Travel managers are coming under pressure from both sides,” added Lesley O’Bryan, senior vice president of Advito. “Travelers are becoming more conscious of the environmental footprint of their travel and want their programs to take action, and executives are issuing top-down directives for every part of the business to meet sustainability goals. With the news around climate change getting more dire every day, we think that this time the trend is here to stay.”
Source: Phocus Wire
