Corporate Traveller Boosts Sustainability Capabilities
With many clients looking to reshape policies to reflect a growing commitment to purposeful travel, SME corporate travel specialist Corporate Traveller is strengthening its sustainability customer offerings too.
To support this vital segment, the company has unveiled a new offering to help customers make decisions around their travel options including CO2 reporting and compensating through carbon positive programs that contribute to impactful climate action.
Tom Walley, Global Managing Director for Corporate Traveller explained that these easy-to-use options have been designed and introduced with customer needs in mind to help address and meet their environmental goals.
Walley said that: “As a business, we are committed to identifying the tools and services to help SMEs succeed in their business aims, whether it be maximizing their productivity, keeping their travellers safe or adjusting to new priorities as they propel their businesses forward in this changed world.”
He continued: “At a time when it matters more than ever, we’re making sustainable travel choices more visible and accessible to our customers by providing the reporting, guidance, tools and nudges needed to help them take positive action. By minimizing their travel impact, they can ensure that every trip counts.”
Corporate Traveller’s own research among customers and prospects shows there is huge appetite for sustainable travel products with 68% of those surveyed saying they are already making a commitment to reducing their CO2 emissions. However, there is still significant scope for development, as only 21% have a formal business travel sustainability program in place. And while half (51%) admitted they haven’t yet implemented a dedicated program, 60% of these respondents said they do plan to introduce one in the near future
With this in mind, Corporate Traveller has signed a global agreement with Thrust Carbon to provide emission information to enable customers to track and measure their carbon footprint and help them select more environmentally friendly travel options.
Mark Corbett, Founder & Director of Thrust Carbon, commented: “Fundamentally, travellers need to understand the emissions cost of their decisions, just as they do the financial cost. Together with Corporate Traveller, we are transforming how individuals can travel with greater responsibility, lower emissions, and ultimately build a path towards net zero.”
This functionality will initially be integrated into Melon – Corporate Traveller’s industry-leading travel management platform – to offer a range of features that make direct use of the Thrust calculator and build upon Melon’s already formidable capabilities. The first of these to be delivered will be a CO2 reporting dashboard alongside the ability for customers to view emissions data for flights, hotels and car rentals throughout the booking journey. A carbon emissions search results filter and sustainable hotel badging will be introduced with further features to be added in line with evolving customer demands.
Over the coming months, CO2 reporting using the Thrust Carbon emissions data will be made available to all Corporate Traveller customers whether booking their travel online or offline.
Alongside the ability to measure their carbon footprint, Corporate Traveller is also partnering with award winning environmental company Trees4Travel to help customers fast-track to their net-zero goals through carbon positive travel. By turning trips into trees, customers will contribute to reducing CO2 emissions and restoring biodiversity in developing countries while providing valued support and income to local communities.
Nico Nicholas, CEO of Trees4Travel, said: “We are delighted to be partnering with Corporate Traveller. Our planet & people positive tree growing programmes are backed up by simultaneous UN certified carbon credit investments, ensuring travellers’ carbon reduction begins as quickly as possible the moment they ‘click go’. What’s more, our programmes are designed to align with up to 13 of the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.”
Using the Thrust calculator, Corporate Traveller will calculate and provide a customer’s carbon emissions data to Trees4Travel to determine the equivalent number of trees to be planted to make each trip planet and people positive. For example, a three-night hotel stay plus return economy flights (up to two hours) equates to three trees at a cost of just £6.
Trees4Travel will also provide a reporting dashboard to enable customers to keep track of their progress. This cost-effective carbon positive solution is optional and available to Corporate Traveller customers globally no matter which online booking tool they currently use.
Walley said that the introduction of these new tools are especially timely as business travel continues to ramp up at pace as new priorities for travellers emerge.
He said that: “The desire to travel and connect face-to-face has increased for businesses… alongside a new set of requirements. With global corporate travel bookings closing in on pre-pandemic levels, these new tools provide a level of transparency that will empower travellers with clear and relevant information to help them take action.”
Alongside the launch of these tools, Corporate Traveller is rolling out educational assets and information across its brand channels this month. This includes a special sustainability edition of the monthly SME Travel Toolkit series. Now available to read and download via the Corporate Traveller website via the following link, customers can expect useful guidance, tools and educational assets on this key topic.
