If you resolved to be greener this year - like improving recycling or switching to a reusable coffee cup - don't forget about sustainable business travel! Travel managers and business travellers can make a big impact by making minor adjustments in their corporate trips. Are your people doing enough? Probably not, according to Bonnie Smith, GM Corporate Traveller. Some talk a good game with CSR reports and mission statements, but they're not making real changes.
There are businesses that genuinely want to go green in their travel, but they face obstacles like lacking the right infrastructure, skills, capacity, or leadership support. That's where a Travel Management Company (TMC) like Corporate Traveller can step in and help you navigate the sustainability challenges.
Smith breaks down the essentials of sustainable travel and offers actionable tips to make your green intentions a reality.
Words: Let's shrink our travel carbon footprint
How to make it happen: How can a company can reduce its carbon footprint? First things first, set some clear goals to make your travel more eco-friendly. You’re not alone on this journey – team up with a travel management partner like like Corporate Traveller who knows the ropes.
We’ll help you navigate the path to carbon reduction and provide regular updates on our progress. An idea? Suggest to travellers that they bundle more meetings into one trip to cut down on both travel time and emissions. And remember, nonstop flights aren't just convenient, they're planet-friendly too!
Words: We're going to offset travel emissions
How to make it happen: Don’t just pick any offset, go for the certified, reliable ones from trusted providers. If your company wants to know how to implement a carbon offset on a flight, switch to Corporate Traveller . We can serve you a menu of options. And, of course, don’t rely solely on offsets – reducing emissions in the first place is the power move.
Words: Being responsible travellers is important to us
Many businesses are all about ethical suppliers, and you don’t have to be an exception. Leave a positive mark by choosing hotels that care about heritage and give back to the community. If you usually go for the big hotel chains, make sure they're on a zero-waste mission.
Oh, and mix things up with guesthouses to support the local community. These are corporate travel policy best practices that get the green light in terms of sustainability.
Words: We're going paperless
How to make it happen: Whether we're working in a hybrid setup or at the office, it’s time embrace the digital revolution and take steps to reduce your carbon footprint at work. It's a win-win for productivity and the planet. Corporate Traveller’s travel management programme, with digital solutions, will wave goodbye to that pesky paper.
No more old-school paper processes for travel approvals – say hello to efficient online booking tools that make following your travel policy greener and easier.
Words: We will throw the most sustainable events and meetings in town
How to make it happen: While event venues may dazzle with their eco-friendly features, you should focus on the foodie side of things. That’s where a lot of the waste at events comes from. Encourage attendees to pre-order food, ditch those individually wrapped items, and go for lower-emission vegetarian and vegan options.
Turn trips into trees
Ready to shrink your carbon footprint while staying on the move? Learn more about Corporate Traveller's partnership with our offsetting partner, Trees4Travel.
Through Trees4Travel, we plant trees for every flight, hotel stay, rental car, and train ride booked through Corporate Traveller to offset those emissions; and your contributions help increase biodiversity and support local communities.
Smith wraps it up by emphasising that the messenger matters regarding sustainability statements. If leadership talks about going greener but doesn't walk the talk, it falls flat among colleagues. Actions speak louder than words in the journey towards sustainability.
How green is your travel policy? Get a free travel programme assessment from Corporate Traveller. Plus, some thought-starters to help you improve your company's sustainability.