Eco-responsibility has become an increasingly important issue in business travel. But what does eco-responsibility really mean in this context, and how can we be sure that companies are really eco-responsible, rather than greenwashing - pretending to be eco-responsible without actually being so?
Eco-responsibility in business travel is about how companies and business travellers take into account the impact of their activities on the environment and local communities. This can include choosing sustainable modes of transport and accommodation, taking into account the needs and concerns of local communities, and minimising the production of waste and greenhouse gases.
In a world where environmental concerns are increasingly on the minds of consumers, eco-responsibility in business travel has become an important differentiating factor for companies. But how can we be sure that companies are really eco-responsible, and not just greenwashing? This is what we will explore in this article.
Eco-responsibility has become an increasingly important issue in business travel. But what does eco-responsibility really mean in this context, and how can we be sure that companies are really eco-responsible, rather than greenwashing - pretending to be eco-responsible without actually being so?
Eco-responsibility in business travel is about how companies and business travellers take into account the impact of their activities on the environment and local communities. This can include choosing sustainable modes of transport and accommodation, taking into account the needs and concerns of local communities, and minimising the production of waste and greenhouse gases.
In a world where environmental concerns are increasingly on the minds of consumers, eco-responsibility in business travel has become an important differentiating factor for companies. But how can we be sure that companies are really eco-responsible, and not just greenwashing? This is what we will explore in this article.
Saad Berrada's point of view:
Fairjungle's Carbon Barometer 2022 reveals that, based on a sample of 10,000 travellers, an employee's business travel generates an average of 700 kg of CO2 per year, or 30% of the EU's recommended carbon allowance. Although decarbonization is a clear goal, there are many obstacles and uncertainties about how to achieve it.
There are four points we need to consider:
- Business travel is a structurally polluting industry
- There is no consensus on how to measure emissions
- The interests of travel agencies are not aligned with those of their clients (they are often even in contradiction)
- There is a strong temptation to greenwash.
At Fairjungle, we focus on efficiency by concentrating on factors that have a direct impact on CO2 emissions. We estimate that we can reduce our carbon footprint by 10-15% by avoiding non-essential travel and favouring rail for domestic and continental travel wherever possible.
Travel should be opportunistic in this quadrant, to be dealt with on a case-by-case basis, by decentralising the decision to the managers
When I mention these two levers, I must exclude other options. For example, choosing "green" hotels or using electric cars are commendable strategies, but they have a limited impact. Furthermore, one has to be critical of the compensation mechanism. On the one hand, there is the problem of a fair evaluation of the ton of CO2 emitted (there is no consensus on this) and on the other hand, the actions implemented can sometimes be dubious as to their real impact, or even counterproductive.
With these recommendations and reservations in mind, what should we do? We believe that an approach combining macro targets (e.g. achieving a balance of less than 0.5 t/passenger per year) with reduction levers per trip and/or passenger is the best way forward. In concrete terms, this strategy should be deployed in five steps:
- Establish a carbon baseline and macro targets for each department.
- Create a company-specific methodology to assess the criticality of travel and integrate it into the travel management software (see our prioritisation methodology here).
- Add carbon to travel policy criteria and approval processes.
- Monitor and communicate the impact (e.g. Green November initiative) using absolute and relative metrics (t/km, tonne/journey, tonne/traveller, etc.).
- Offset the remainder through concrete decarbonization (ideally carbon recapture) initiatives.
What to remember about Green Washing in business travel?
Eco-responsibility in business travel is an increasingly important issue, both for companies and for business travellers. While greenwashing can create confusion and mistrust, a real commitment to eco-responsibility can have many benefits for companies, as well as for the environment and local communities.
It is therefore important that companies are transparent about their eco-friendly practices, and that business travellers do their part by choosing companies that have sustainable practices in place. It is also important to raise awareness among colleagues and superiors about the issues of eco-sustainability in business travel, and to find ways to reduce the environmental impact of our own travel.
Finally, it is important to note that eco-sustainability in business travel is an ever-evolving field, and that new initiatives and technologies are likely to emerge to help companies and business travellers to be even more eco-sustainable in the future.
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