World Citizen: 3 Ps of sustainable business travel

The headlines detailing extreme weather seem to be a daily occurrence. 2020 has only just begun and we’ve already witnessed heart-breaking wildfires and flooding.

These events have contributed to the phenomenon of ‘eco-anxiety’ Psychology Today calls it, “a fairly recent psychological disorder afflicting an increasing number of individuals who worry about the environmental crisis”.

Understandably, business travelers want to know how to continue to conduct business while minimizng their impact on the environment and even contributing to positive change. When it comes to making your business travel more sustainable, think of these three cues: ‘policy,’ ‘planning’ and ‘personal.’

Policy - Ask your company to prioritize sustainable travel, .“A lot of companies include more generic travel policy statements and instructions about environmental travel, while some clients even steer employees towards more earth-friendly alternatives,” says Chris Bowen, Managing Director EMEA, “examples of this might include, changing from flights to trains, stating a certain kilometer or time limit, under which you cannot fly, or encouraging travelers to use suppliers that use modern and fuel-efficient fleets”

Planning –There are several things you can do when planning your journey like booking a direct flight or choosing airlines and hotels with eco-credentials. Taking off and landing burns more fuel than cruising so having a trip with multiple stops may be more harmful than flying direct. Newer aircraft generally tend to be more fuel efficient so it may be worth checking the aircraft.

Personal – Individual changes go a long way. Carry reusable drinks containers, clean up after yourself and use sustainable transport such as carpooling with colleagues or hopping on the train. Cut out meat completely or reduce your consumption, and make donations to local causes that contribute to environmental preservation.

Blog author: Emma Woodhouse, Global Corporate Communications, CWT