Sustainable Corporate Travel: Can Business Travel Be Eco-Friendly?

In current times, one of the major global concerns has been climate change and hence companies are under increasing pressure to rethink how they conduct their operations, and this includes their travel. While corporate travel is surely necessary in order for a business to grow,  build relationships and expand into newer markets, it is also a major contributor to global carbon emissions. As sustainability becomes a strategic priority, organisations are now asking and wanting to know: Can business travel be eco-friendly?

The Carbon Cost of Corporate Travel

There is significant data on air travel, one of which, by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), states air travel accounts for approximately 2.5% of global CO₂ emissions. It needs to be noted here that this percentage is higher for corporate travel due to frequent long-haul flights, premium cabin usage, and multi-city itineraries. A 2022 report by the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) states that corporate travel accounted for 15% to 20% of all air travel-related emissions.

The environmental footprint is not just related to the flights. Even hotel stays, local transportation, as well as event catering all contribute to greenhouse gas emissions, water consumption, and waste generation.  This unfortunately has resulted in posting the most pressing business travel challenges of today: How to achieve business objectives without compromising on our environmental responsibility?

Sustainability in Corporate Travel, what does it look like?

One cannot eliminate travel completely, so sustainable travel doesn’t imply that. However, it suggests making informed, strategic decisions that minimize environmental impact. How can this be done?:

• Choosing transportation which has lower-emission such as trains over planes for short distances.
• Offsetting carbon emissions by investing in carbon reduction projects.
• Opting for eco-certified hotels and meeting venues for all accommodation and event requirements.
• Utilizing technology and conducting virtual meetings where travel can be avoided.
• Encouraging travel policies that support sustainability. This can be done by opting for direct flights, longer stays with multiple meetings, etc.

These steps have a dual benefit- it will help reduce environmental impact but also lead to cost efficiencies and hence both of your biggest business travel challenges can be combated simultaneously: sustainability and budget control.

How Technology Is Enabling Sustainable Travel

With the advancement in technology and Digital transformation- it has become very easy for organizations to initiate and opt for sustainable business travel solutions. There are AI-powered booking tools today and these can suggest greener travel options based on emissions data. There are also several travel management platforms which have the ability to track an organization’s travel-related carbon footprint in real time.

In addition there are tools like predictive analytics. These help forecast travel trends, making it possible to plan fewer but more effective trips.

SKIL Travel’s proprietary platform integrates many of these capabilities. This is how their clients can manage their travel plans while monitoring the environmental impact. This is surely one critical advancement in business travel solutions.

Corporate Responsibility and Employee Expectations

Sustainability is no more just a buzz work or a mandate even. Now Millennials and Gen Z, who will soon make up the majority of the workforce by 2030, have it as their cultural expectation. They demand ethical and sustainable practices when choosing where to work and how they travel.

A study was done in this regard by Booking.com for Business, which found that 65% of business travellers want to make more sustainable travel choices, but only 29% feel their companies support them in doing so. This is quite a big gap and organisations can use this as an opportunity to differentiate themselves as responsible employers.

Adoption of sustainable business travel solutions is of dire need today; it directly impacts an organisation’s brand reputation, employee engagement, and its compliance with Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) frameworks. It shows that it is future-ready!

Measuring Impact: Metrics That Matter

If a company really wants to make a difference, they need to go a step further. It can be just an intention. They need to show and measure the impact. This could be done by:

• Tracking CO₂ emissions per traveller, for each trip, and each department.
• Beginning to measure their progress against sustainability targets.
• Setting goals for the annual reduction of corporate travel emissions.
• Recording cost per trip and analyzing emissions saved.

All the above will help an organisation with their overall corporate responsibility goals and offer a transparent framework for improvement.

The Role of Policy and Partnerships

Sustainable travel isn’t just about traveler choices. We need a strong system to support this. Hence, companies need to rethink and revisit their travel policies and see how they can embed sustainability into their approval workflows, vendor selection, and budgeting.

Hence, this is where right partnerships can be a game changer. Working with eco-conscious airlines, certified hotels, and forward-thinking travel agencies can make a big difference and send the right message. For example, some airlines today are now providing information on emissions estimates per flight during booking. Similarly, many hotel chains too are publishing detailed sustainability reports.

How SKIL Travel Is Pioneering Sustainable Travel Solutions

We believe that corporate travel management must move hand in hand with the demands of the future. Our comprehensive travel platform provides efficient as well environmentally responsible solutions.

At SKIL Travel We offer:

• Emissions tracking dashboards.
• Carbon offsetting programs.
• Green vendor partnerships, including eco-certified accommodations and ground transport.
• AI-powered booking tools.
• Custom policy setup to ensure adherence to sustainability goals.

So, we come down to the question: can business travel be eco-friendly? Absolutely yes! But you surely need to have certain elements in place, which are: the right mindset, the right tools, and the right partners. Companies need to stop looking at travel and environmental responsibility as opposing forces. With smarter choices and scalable systems, these surely can co-exist.

If your organization is ready to explore sustainable business travel solutions, partner with SKIL Travel—India’s forward-thinking corporate travel agency. Let’s make travel smarter, greener, and more impactful—together.