DATABANK
WORLDS APART?

BTN research highlights significant regional variation in corporates’ attitudes to sustainable business travel

In May this year Business Travel News and BTN Europe surveyed more than 200 travel managers to understand how business travel sustainability fits into their companies’ travel management priorities. The statistics below compare and contrast three views of the questions posed: the total respondent base, Europe-based travel managers, and North America-based travel managers.

The divergent results may be a product of the associated regulatory environment for each region in which corporations are (or are not yet, in the case of the US) required to report in-depth and to a specific standard about their carbon emissions – including Scope 3, which relates to business travel.

Faster moving regulations in the European Union have driven deeper awareness of sustainable business practices here as compared to the US, and the introduction of the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) is likely to widen that gulf.

That said, the US will not go unaffected by emissions reporting regulations. The Securities and Exchange Commission has rules pending, and they are expected to be finalised this autumn. Moreover, the EU’s CSRD will touch all companies with operations of a certain size in the EU – not just those based here.

Meanwhile, a survey of 250 travel managers conducted by Business Travel Show Europe in June highlights how some companies are implementing special considerations for certain groups of travellers in their travel programmes.

THE VIRTUAL REALITY

How intensively companies are using virtual meetings technology to reduce travel emissions

DIFFERENT PRIORITIES

Travel managers’ priorities in Europe and in North America are similar but with one key difference – their stance on sustainability

OVERALL

  1. Reducing trip cost
  2. Risk management/wellbeing
  3. Driving programme compliance
  4. Sustainability action

TAILORED POLICIES

Source: Business Travel Show Europe survey

Has your travel policy been built with special consideration for the following travellers?

GETTING PERSONAL

Percentage of travel managers personally concerned about their company’s business travel emissions

TAKING RESPONSIBILITY

Percentage of travel managers officially tasked with reducing carbon emissions from their company's business travel

SUPPLIER SELECTION

Percentage of responding companies that prioritise sustainability over pricing in supplier choice

BUDGETING FOR EMISSIONS

Source: Business Travel Show Europe survey

Do you set and monitor carbon budgets?