*GUEST BLOG* How Carbon Offsetting Can Work for Business Travellers

When work calls for employees to travel to places unreachable by the more carbon-friendly options of train, bus or car -- they fly. However, flights are a huge contributor to the amount of carbon dioxide (CO₂) in the atmosphere, a greenhouse gas that leads to global warming. Carbon offsetting of flights is becoming a popular way to understand emissions as travellers look to take action for a better future.

Several charities and programmes are working to reduce the amount of CO₂ in the atmosphere through projects funded through donations. Now that it’s easy to generate carbon impact data through travel management platforms, travellers and their organisations can see their emissions in tonnes and donate the price equivalent to these programmes to help offset their carbon footprint.

Carbon offsetting programmes usually consist of two different kinds of projects: forestry or energy. Forestry projects stop trees (nature’s carbon solution) from being cut down or provide for the planting of new ones, and energy projects reduce fossil fuel consumption by investing in energy efficient products or renewable technology.

It’s important to remember that donations to these programmes do not instantly offset emissions. Understanding and utilising these environmental projects truly indicates the slow process of resolving our carbon impact - so offsetting can serve as a motivator to help change habits and decision making when it comes to travel.

Choosing Efficient Carbon Offset Programmes

Technology is being improved all the time and carbon impact data can now even live inside your corporate travel booking platform. With this data on hand, if employees do choose to harness that information for offsetting, it’s important to understand how to select efficient and reliable programmes.

Efficient programmes exist, just consider these three factors:

●        Additionality: Carbon offsets must be additive to those planned or expected from existing projects and initiatives.

●        No Leakage: The project can’t be increasing emissions somewhere else whilst it’s reducing them in others.

●        Permanent: A project where the output won’t be reversed in the future.

Why Enable Employees with Carbon Emissions Data?

Providing your employees with data on their individual carbon impact enables them to make environmentally-conscious decisions that can reduce your company’s emissions overall. It’s not hard to do with advancing travel management platforms providing carbon impact data now. Additionally, travelling sustainably is often more cost friendly and might positively impact your T&E spend as a by-product.

Providing employees with this information communicates a wider corporate social responsibility (CSR) message from the business, gaining buy-in and contributing positively from a company culture standpoint. It enables environmentally conscious employees to understand the impact of their business travel decisions and gives them an opportunity to turn that information into aid.

Learn how to make incremental changes that work towards a sustainable future and still harnesses the power of in-person communication with TripActions latest eBook - Taking Steps Towards Sustainable Business Travel. Link: https://tripactions.com/uk/ebook/sustainable-travel

Visit the team at Business Travel Show, stand B322. Register now www.businesstravelshow.com

*GUEST BLOG* What is the Government’s approach to sustainability and what impact can it have on travel management?

There has been much written about national and global targets to manage carbon emissions and the best route forward to support a more sustainable future. So what is the current situation and how can businesses and travel management professionals work with TMC’s to apply these directives to achieve a more sustainable approach to travel?

Currently the UK has a target to reduce emissions by 80% by 2050. This was first detailed in the 2008 Climate Change Act and is often defined as achieving “net zero” greenhouse gases in the next 30 years. In short, emissions from homes, industry and transport must either be avoided completely or offset by planting trees. To continue its efforts to realise this ambition, the government has committed over £3bn to support Research & Development for low carbon projects until next year as part of the Clean Growth Strategy. This has also been supported by investment in the development of offshore wind capacity and solar power.

In more recent times there have been calls for a more practical approach that extends beyond simply planting tress - namely investment in environmental projects aimed at reducing future emissions, such as the development of clean energy technology. From a fiscal point of view it is also possible to claim capital allowances when you buy energy efficient or low carbon technology for your business, so it’s worth bearing in mind as a tax incentive.

The Government’s 25 Year Environment Plan: progress report highlights the advances made as part of its commitment to a clear and transparent reporting of progress to Parliament. Key developments have included minimising waste and action on plastics, which is important to bear in mind for companies keen to implement their own sustainability policies and KPIs.

From April this year the Government’s new controls on plastics come into effect. This will apply to plastic straws, drinks stirrers and plastic cotton buds. This is in addition to the EU’s own plan to place a wider ban on plastic items, including cutlery and plates, by next year. Many businesses have adopted their own policies as a result and the launch of the UK Plastics Pact in 2018 included a number of household names such as Sainsbury’s, Coca Cola, John Lewis and Unilever, all committing to delivering real change in the way plastics are produced and used.

So what does this mean for business and business travel? Such government policies and pledges can certainly act as signposts to inform how to implement sustainability policies – both from an operational as well as a travel point of view. The key is to stay informed. If you are looking to invest in a carbon off-setting scheme do your due diligence into its operations and deliverables, ask your supply chain what steps they are taking to reduce their impact on the environment and inform your travellers of the options available for a more sustainable trip so they can feel confident in the travel choices being made. And all that starts with an effective travel policy that balances the scales of environmental consciousness and the commercial needs of an organisation, without overlooking traveller wellbeing.

Such approach to your travel policy can take many forms: favouring the use of public transport rather than private transfers, only permitting hire of electric vehicles or considering mixed mode itineraries, can prove fruitful to companies’ endeavouring towards a more sustainable operation.

Blog post written by Direct ATPI. Register for FREE and visit them at stand B440 - www.businesstravelshow.com

*GUEST BLOG* How Carbon Offsetting Can Work for Business Travellers

When work calls for employees to travel to places unreachable by the more carbon-friendly options of train, bus or car -- they fly. However, flights are a huge contributor to the amount of carbon dioxide (CO₂) in the atmosphere, a greenhouse gas that leads to global warming. Carbon offsetting of flights is becoming a popular way to understand emissions as travellers look to take action for a better future.

Several charities and programmes are working to reduce the amount of CO₂ in the atmosphere through projects funded through donations. Now that it’s easy to generate carbon impact data through travel management platforms, travellers and their organisations can see their emissions in tonnes and donate the price equivalent to these programmes to help offset their carbon footprint.

Carbon offsetting programmes usually consist of two different kinds of projects: forestry or energy. Forestry projects stop trees (nature’s carbon solution) from being cut down or provide for the planting of new ones, and energy projects reduce fossil fuel consumption by investing in energy efficient products or renewable technology.

It’s important to remember that donations to these programmes do not instantly offset emissions. Understanding and utilising these environmental projects truly indicates the slow process of resolving our carbon impact - so offsetting can serve as a motivator to help change habits and decision making when it comes to travel.

Choosing Efficient Carbon Offset Programmes

Technology is being improved all the time and carbon impact data can now even live inside your corporate travel booking platform. With this data on hand, if employees do choose to harness that information for offsetting, it’s important to understand how to select efficient and reliable programmes.

Efficient programmes exist, just consider these three factors:

·        Additionality: Carbon offsets must be additive to those planned or expected from existing projects and initiatives.

·        No Leakage: The project can’t be increasing emissions somewhere else whilst it’s reducing them in others.

·        Permanent: A project where the output won’t be reversed in the future.

Why Enable Employees with Carbon Emissions Data?

Providing your employees with data on their individual carbon impact enables them to make environmentally-conscious decisions that can reduce your company’s emissions overall. It’s not hard to do with advancing travel management platforms providing carbon impact data now. Additionally, travelling sustainably is often more cost friendly and might positively impact your T&E spend as a by-product.

Providing employees with this information communicates a wider corporate social responsibility (CSR) message from the business, gaining buy-in and contributing positively from a company culture standpoint. It enables environmentally conscious employees to understand the impact of their business travel decisions and gives them an opportunity to turn that information into aid.

Learn how to make incremental changes that work towards a sustainable future and still harnesses the power of in-person communication with TripActions latest eBook - Taking Steps Towards Sustainable Business Travel.

TripActions are exhibiting at Business Travel Show. Register for FREE and visit them at stand B322, www.businesstravelshow.com