Nearly half of corporates say they are cutting back on their travel in a bid to reduce CO2 emissions, according to a survey by the Institute of Travel Management.
Speaking at the Advantage Business Travel Conference in Amsterdam this week, ITM chief executive Paul Tilstone said 45% of respondents to a recent ITM survey said they were actively encouraging a reduction in travel due to environmental concerns.
The survey also found that 28% of ITM members said they were attempting to limit CO2 emissions through switching modes of transport, 13% are participating in projects to offset carbon emissions and 3% were choosing suppliers based on their environmental record.
The remaining 35% said they did not operate any measures to protect the environment.
Over 60% said Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) was a key strategic issue for their company.
“This is not a public relations fad,” said Tilstone.
He told Advantage members that agents could play an important role in helping their clients implement a CSR strategy.
“Agents can provide management reporting to show where their clients can cut down on internal meetings, provide clients with carbon reporting and help them develop CSR,” he said.
By Bev Fearis
