The GBTA Foundation, the Global Business Travel Association’s philanthropic wing, has released its first annual report on the state of sustainability in business travel, revealing substantial progress needed for the industry to align with NetZero emissions goals by 2050.

According to the GBTA report, conducted in partnership with Dublin-based multinational company Accenture, the Sustainability Acceleration Challenge offers the first global benchmark for decarbonisation efforts within corporate travel programmes. 

Results suggest that although some strides have been made, more work is needed for companies to meet their environmental targets. 

The current global maturity score, a measure of climate action, averages just 1.3 out of 5, indicating limited integration of sustainable practices.

The 2024 challenge invited 241 companies, representing USD 14 billion in combined travel spending, to assess their sustainability efforts. 

Sectors such as finance, consulting and technology scored higher in sustainability maturity, with scores ranging from 1.5 to 2.0. 

Manufacturing and transportation/travel services, however, lagged behind. Regionally, Europe leads with a score of 1.7, while APAC regions trail at 0.7, underscoring the need for greater cross-regional collaboration.

GBTA says that noteworthy advancements include the tracking of travel emissions, now undertaken by 62 pc of companies, and public reporting of corporate emissions, with 49 pc of businesses disclosing Scope 3 emissions, which encompass travel. 

Delphine Millot

“While acknowledging serious efforts are underway to manage business travel emissions, our Global Benchmark shows the stark need for significant acceleration in climate action,” says Delphine Millot, Senior Vice President, Advocacy and Sustainability, GBTA and Managing Director, GBTA Foundation. 

“The continued prosperity of the business travel industry is dependent on embedding sustainability in all we do. This is why we launched this initiative. Through these directional insights, we can better understand how organisations can manage their business travel programs more sustainably and take the steps needed to significantly reduce carbon emissions as we work towards NetZero,” Millot adds. 

The statement adds that 68 pc of companies have integrated carbon calculators and sustainability features into their corporate travel platforms. 

However, employee engagement and supplier selection criteria represent opportunities for growth as just 32 pc of companies involve employees in sustainability initiatives, and only a third currently prioritise suppliers based on climate criteria.

Jesko-Philipp Neuenburg

“Through our collaboration with the GBTA Foundation, we are focused on delivering actionable insights that give companies the opportunity to assess the maturity of their business travel program from a sustainability perspective,” says Jesko-Philipp Neuenburg, Global Travel and Aviation Sustainability Lead, Accenture. 

“The GBTA Sustainability Acceleration Challenge, which Accenture co-developed, is a great way for companies to take tangible action in the areas where they are less mature, or to push the boundaries on industry leading practices in areas of high maturity. The shared learning can enable them to make faster progress than going it alone,” Neuenburg adds. 

To address the industry’s decarbonisation challenges, GBTA says it will continue tracking sustainability progress through annual assessments and encourage broader participation in the challenge. 

The GBTA Foundation’s Sustainability Initiative also seeks to drive collaboration across sectors to foster sustainable travel practices and to support corporate and industry-wide climate goals through future benchmarking and targeted programs.

These insights were announced at the GBTA’s 3rd Annual Sustainability Summit in Copenhagen, highlighting a unified call for action to improve sustainability maturity across all regions and sectors.