Corporations are facing increasing demands for sustainability from the public, influenced by the growing environmentalism movement.
According to the Net Zero Roadmap published by the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) in 2021, 69% of customers expect more sustainable options from the travel industry in particular.
Business travel is at the nexus of these environmental concerns, and as a significant contributor to corporate carbon emissions, presents businesses with a chance to release some pressure from the public.
However, businesses stand more to gain from reducing carbon emissions than simply pacifying stakeholders, employees and consumers.
Sustainable practices are key signifiers of responsible corporations, whose behaviours better resonate with today’s values. So, they offer brand awareness and revenue growth opportunities for those businesses smart enough to use them.
With pressure mounting and much to gain, what are some ways that businesses can make their travel more sustainable?
Opting for sustainable providers
There are times when business travel can’t be avoided. Leaving an unnecessarily large carbon footprint, on the other hand, can. Businesses can improve their sustainability by using environmentally conscious providers.
The shift in focus here is from the actual act of travelling to the means of travel itself. After doing some shopping around, companies are sure to find some room for improvement with their travel providers.
Invest in carbon offsetting
Companies can seek to mitigate the effects of their travel-related carbon emissions by investing in carbon offsets. These are projects that will balance emissions by decreasing carbon dioxide levels.
Tree planting is one of the clearest examples of carbon offsets. The company Trees4Travel offers a tree planting partnership with environmentally conscious corporations. Lorraine Evans of SilverDoor, who offers serviced apartments across the globe from Singapore to New York, says:
“[Trees4Travel] invites our clients to track the projected energy usage of their booked trips (considering both transport and accommodation CO2 production) and invest in planting the appropriate number of trees to offset these emissions.”
Businesses don’t have to partner to offset their emissions but can even create their own ways. Regardless of their preferred method, businesses that offset their emissions are leading the way to a more sustainable corporate future.
Extend business trips
Many businesses have employees who regularly fly to the same location on business. To cut down travel volume, they can have such employees take extended business trips instead. It’s a small change, but over the course of years, the resulting carbon emission reduction will soon loom large.
Think long-term
Reducing carbon footprint is a long-term goal and doesn’t happen overnight. Whichever strategies for improving business travel sustainability resonate with you, make sure you stick at them and continually search for ways to improve.
