Environmental
sustainability will be central to business travel’s recovery, according to an
ITM poll of its buyer members, with fears it could be side-lined being largely
allayed.
More than half of buyers
(56 per cent) say the prioritisation of sustainable travel will remain the same
as the industry gets moving again, while 40 per cent say it will be an even
higher priority. Only 4 per cent of travel managers believe it will become
less of a priority.
While sustainability
efforts were largely set aside in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis,
they are poised to play a key role in the shaping of a ‘new normal’ according
to a number of speakers at the ITM’s virtual conference, where the research was
released.
“It is probably safe to
say there has been some unnecessary travel in the past,” said Karen Hutchings, global
travel, meetings and events leader at EY, who said her organisation will be
considering a number of changes moving forwards.
Among them is the
elimination of one-day trips. “Think about the number of trips that haven’t
happened now [during the crisis]. Why do we need these when there is good
technology out there?”
Hutchings continued:
“Another interesting consideration is multisector trips instead of multiple out
and back trips, although we appreciate there are certain impacts on the
traveller such as more time zones crossed and time spent at airports.”
EY had already begun
implementing a number of hotel policies before the pandemic, including
mandating with key, high-volume hotels that they shouldn’t change EY employees’
bed linen unless they’re staying more than three nights.
“Some of our closest
hotels are even able to supply data and reports on the positive impact that has
for the environment,” said Hutchings.
EY also provides
individual dashboards reporting on the business travel-related environmental
impact of individuals taking four or more trips a year, though these will soon
be made available to all EY employees that travel.
“We are going to come out
of this [pandemic] in 2021 and be back to normal in 2022 so let’s start to
prepare as we begin the recovery,” she concluded.
Ben Page, CEO of Ipsos
MORI, agreed the current move to virtual meetings means increasingly more
gatherings that would have traditionally taken place physically can now
function online.
“Carbon emissions shot up
after the 2008 recession because the government wanted rapid economic recovery.
That could be different this time,” he said.
Meanwhile, Carolina Dores,
head of the European transport team at Morgan Stanley, pointed to environmental
clauses in government bailouts for airlines.
“We’ve already seen that
in France where there were strict environmental parameters,” she said.
The French government
wants the airline to halve its carbon emissions on its domestic network by 2024
and refresh its fleet to incorporate new, more fuel-efficient aircraft.