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SUSTAINABILITY<br />
Doing the right<br />
THING<br />
<strong>Travel</strong> and hospitality brands are finally backing up their talk<br />
about sustainability with real action, says Gillian Upton<br />
When Sir Elton John leapt to the<br />
defence of Prince Harry and wife<br />
Meghan in August for flying by<br />
private jet to his villa in Nice by saying<br />
that he offset the carbon emissions, it<br />
didn’t really wash.<br />
Carbon offsetting was initially sold as an<br />
easy trade off. Companies could invest in<br />
various environmental projects that reduce<br />
greenhouse gases in order to compensate<br />
for the emissions made elsewhere.<br />
Environmental groups now view carbon<br />
offsetting as a distraction from reducing<br />
emissions first and foremost. Offsetting<br />
should be a last resort. So how green is the<br />
business travel world? Studies highlight that<br />
40% of companies are finding it hard to<br />
become more sustainable, with cost proving<br />
the biggest barrier.<br />
“<strong>The</strong>y’ll have to absorb the cost,” says<br />
Vanessa Bailey, Director of Client<br />
Partnerships at <strong>Business</strong> <strong>Travel</strong> Direct. “All we<br />
can do is present the options but the decision<br />
has to be made at board level. Usually the<br />
sustainability team want to reduce CO2 but<br />
the travel team are looking at cost.”<br />
Many planet-friendly initiatives are not cost<br />
neutral but it is also abundantly clear that<br />
consumers want action, otherwise they will<br />
vote with their feet. According to a study<br />
from WRAP, 67% of UK consumers would<br />
boycott brands that lack an ethical<br />
conscience, a value that miIlennials – who will<br />
make up the bulk of employees over the next<br />
few years – hold dear. MiIlennial and Gen Z<br />
employees rank sustainability as a leading<br />
concern when evaluating employers.<br />
Chris Bowen, Managing Director EMEA at<br />
CWT, reckons that the tipping point is fast<br />
approaching. “Budget versus mis-perceived<br />
additional sustainable trip costs are a<br />
frequent discussion point as many travellers<br />
continue to prefer individual comfort versus<br />
more sustainable options,” he says.<br />
“However, we are starting to see a shift with<br />
changing employee demographics.”<br />
World view<br />
Sustainability is high on government and<br />
public agendas and is no longer a box-ticking<br />
exercise, particularly today when business is<br />
wide open to public view. Moreover, C-level<br />
executives are mindful of minimising<br />
reputational damage.<br />
Most business tenders today will request<br />
details of carbon capture and sustainability<br />
goals, and TMCs are increasingly being asked<br />
by clients for best practice and how they can<br />
change traveller behaviour.<br />
“Corporates want to travel less and travel<br />
smarter and not necessarily focus on the<br />
cost,” says Click <strong>Travel</strong>’s Director of Sales and<br />
Implementation, Vicki Williams.<br />
18 THEBUSINESSTRAVELMAG.COM
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