Key Takeaways 

  • Align your corporate travel policy with measurable sustainability goals and track progress using data 
  • Implement a responsible travel policy that's clear, communicated, and supported by your travel management company 
  • Use visibility tools to ensure bookings align with sustainable business travel 
  • Offset carbon emissions through verified environmental projects 
  • Choose travel suppliers with recognised sustainability certifications 

1. Make sustainable business travel a goal, and track it

Want to cut travel emissions? Do you have a defined percentage? Start by setting measurable goals for your travel programme. Assess your current programme and learn how to set sustainable goals. 

Your travel management company (TMC) can help calculate your current travel footprint and build sustainability targets into your business travel management, then track so that you don’t lose focus. 

For instance, one engineering business partnered with FCM to analyse same-day internal air travel. By improving visibility and encouraging small behavioural changes, they reduced emissions in this category from 2% to 0.8% in just one quarter, without affecting productivity or project delivery.  

2. Create and communicate your sustainable travel policy

If your travel policy hasn't been updated recently, it's time to revisit it. Establish a responsible travel policy that includes: 

  • A clear purpose statement outlining your sustainability mission 
  • Scope and authorisation processes 
  • Travel arrangements aligned with sustainable practices 

Communication matters. Share your sustainability goals with stakeholders and how they align to wider business goals, explain what you're doing to achieve them, and clarify the role each person plays. Transparency builds trust and buy-in across the organisation. 

3. Stay in control of your business travel

You can't build a sustainable travel programme if you don't know what's being booked. Complete visibility of your travel programme will help you analyse where emissions are coming from, identify opportunities to improve, and encourage more sustainable travel choices.  

Your online booking tool should help you: 

  • Track travel-related emissions 
  • Highlight lower-emission travel options 
  • Promote green-certified hotels 
  • Improve compliance with sustainability guidelines 
  • Measure progress against your sustainability goals 

4. Use carbon offsetting to tackle unavoidable carbon emissions 

Business travel is essential, and every business trip cannot be replaced with a virtual meeting. 

That's where carbon offsetting can help. By investing in verified projects such as reforestation, renewable energy, or community-based environmental initiatives, organisations can offset emissions from unavoidable travel. 

When selecting an offset programme, look for recognised certifications such as Gold Standard or Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) to ensure your investment delivers genuine impact. 

5. Choose suppliers that share your sustainability goals

Your sustainability efforts are only as strong as the suppliers you work with. When sourcing hotels, airlines, and ground transport providers, consider their environmental impact and credentials alongside price and service.  

There are many sustainable travel certification bodies out there, and it can get confusing for travel managers to distinguish them. Here’s a list of certifications that you can check and understand when you're next selecting suppliers.  

You’ll also need to ensure that once sourced, these options are easy to book in your online booking tool, and displayed correctly.  

6. Make sustainability part of the conversation

Sustainable business travel programmes succeed when travellers are engaged and informed. Empower your people with the tools and information that reduce environmental impact.  

Look for online booking tools that highlight sustainable options at the point of booking. When travellers can see carbon footprint, green-certified hotels or lower-emission flights as they search, sustainable choices become easier, not harder. 

Share your sustainable travel goals, explain what you're doing to achieve them, and outline the role each traveller plays. This helps build a culture where employees and travel managers feel encouraged (and equipped) to make more sustainable choices, such as: 

  • Taking direct flights where possible 
  • Choosing hotels with green certification 
  • Flying with low-emission providers 
  • Hiring fuel-efficient rental cars 
  • Reusing towels and bed linen in hotel rooms 

Turning sustainability goals into action 

The most successful business travel programmes don't treat sustainability as a separate initiative. They build it into every stage of the travel journey, from the point of booking to reporting. When sustainability becomes part of how travel decisions are made every day, it's better for your business, your travellers, and the planet. 

Resource section 

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