More than 100 companies including such global giants as AstraZeneca, BMW, Deloitte, GlaxoSmithKline, IBM and Pfizer last month announced their participation in the British government's National Business Travel Network of firms devoted to promoting sustainable travel.
NBTN is the newest of many sustainable travel and transportation initiatives begun over the past two years, as the corporate world increasingly recognizes the perils of climate change. Although NBTN focuses "primarily" on workplace and commuting efficiencies, the program is also "very much related" to business travel, according to coordinator Kerry Edens.
"We address all types of work-related travel, the commute and traveling in the course of business," Edens wrote by email. "NBTN encourages employers to manage staff travel (all forms) through voluntary workplace travel plans as a means to reduce costs, as well as reducing carbon dioxide emissions and congestion. Workplace travel plans can benefit organizations in other ways as well, including through improving corporate reputation, delivering on corporate social and environmental responsibility, improving staff retention and recruitment, and cutting costs associated with car parking and fleet management."
The public-private partnership's goal "is to raise awareness of managing business travel as a means for companies to reduce CO2 emissions, cut costs and deliver on environmental and social responsibility at a strategic level, and to promote workplace travel planning as a cost effective way for businesses to act on CO2."
NBTN is "developing guides for employers on taxation issues and on working with transport operators" as well as--in partnership with other groups--a carbon calculator. NBTN has the British Chamber of Commerce's support and works closely with commuter group ACT Travelwise. NBTN and ACT bring to the corporate environmental movement an expertise heretofore untapped in corporate travel circles, suggested Institute of Travel Management executive director Paul Tilstone.
"There's a natural fit here as NBTN are focusing on areas ITM have yet to, such as those areas that we do not normally consider pure business travel," according to Tilstone. "They have brought the subjects of home working and its impact on business travel and commuter travel, plus car clubs and car pools, to our attention whilst we are raising their knowledge of big ticket items like flights, hotel and business rail. There's a wider picture here, on which our two organizations can work together for the benefit of overall sustainability in travel management."
They are not the only two organizations doing this type of work. In just the past few weeks, suppliers including AirPlus International, Continental Airlines, Lufthansa, National Car Rental, Swiss International Air Lines and Qantas Airways have joined the list of vendors offering programs to track or offset carbon dioxide emissions produced by business travel.
Industry is moving partly because of existing and expected pressure from government. The European Parliament last month approved "by a large majority" the European Commission's plan to include aviation in the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme. E.U.'s environmental ministers on 20 December will vote on Parliament's version of the proposal, according to EurActiv.com. The United States within five years also would create a carbon emissions cap-and-trade program that includes the airline industry, under a bill advanced this month by the Senate's Environment and Public Works Committee, although the Bush administration opposes the legislation. Several U.S. states petitioned the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to adopt "global warming regulations for aircraft" that would "ultimately limit emissions from all aircraft arriving or departing from U.S. airports."
Even carbon offset programs of the sort popular among travel vendors are coming under scrutiny, as the U.S. Federal Trade Commission reviews its "Green Guides ... that help marketers avoid making environmental claims that are unfair or deceptive." FTC plans on 8 January 2008 to hold a public workshop "to examine the emerging market for carbon offsets and renewable energy certificates, and related advertising claims."
Related resource:
National Business Travel Network