5 Ways Smart Companies are Making Travel Programs More Sustainable
The business world is taking to the skies again with a renewed sense of optimism, coupled with an awareness that combating climate change is everyone’s job. Globally, the transportation industry is responsible for roughly 28 percent of all greenhouse gases, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, which is why so many corporate travel programs are setting sustainability goals. Luckily, there are new suites of powerful tools helping them build sustainable travel programs. The most forward-looking companies are making sure every part of their travel itinerary takes sustainability seriously.
1. Create a plan. A sustainable travel program requires buy-in across departments — not just travel, but HR, marketing and purchasing should be onboard. Get together as a team, set sustainability goals and create benchmarks for how you’ll meet them. Look at your program as a whole, at who is traveling, how often they travel, and how many employees need to travel to each location. Finally, help your employees understand the importance of these sustainable solutions and educate them on why your company makes the choices it does.
2. Travel direct. Yes, nonstop flights tend to cost more, but there’s a reason: they are shorter and more efficient and save more of your employees’ time and your company’s valuable resources. You can identify which routes are better for direct flights based on factors such as time and volume, or you can use your booking tool to sort flights by the most sustainable. For example, Rocketrip allows travelers to book flights and routes based on sustainability.
3. Be green your entire trip. The companies most committed to sustainability look at sustainability beyond the flight. Are you renting a car during your trip? Does your preferred rental car company have a good selection of electric and hybrid vehicles? Does your company have carpooling policies in place? These are factors and options that go beyond the flight selection that will show your company is serious about sustainability.
4. Hotel location matters. If you choose a hotel that is located near your meeting locations, this may save you the need to rent a car, which will cut down on carbon emissions. Opt for using ride sharing apps for any meeting locations that may be outside of walking distance. Often the choices that are the most sustainable also end up being the most cost effective as well.
5. Use the right tools. If your company currently uses Concur or another corporate booking site, consider implementing Rocketrip to your existing platform. Rocketrip has partnered up with Thrust Carbon to help business travelers track and offset emissions. Rocketrip’s partnership with Thrust Carbon allows you to check the up-to-date emissions data for every business trip, and every traveler and provides a comprehensive dashboard to keep track of it all. You will also be able to select a variety of products and ways to offset any of your company’s travel emissions.
If you’d like to learn more about Rocketrip and how easy it is to incorporate into your existing travel program, visit us at Rocketrip.com or email info@rocketrip.com
