Sustainability in Travel - Better Get Ready

Sustainability in Travel – It’s a term that not many of us here in Asia gave a lot of thought to a few years ago but that’s about to change…..fast. Already a hot-button issue in the U.S.A. and especially in Europe, it is rapidly headed our way and all of us in the travel industry, including our customers, need to be prepared to deal with it.

Climate change is a very complex topic and there are numerous viewpoints on how critical an issue it really is. The “Green Movement” is convinced that rising global temperatures will soon reach a “Tipping Point” that will threaten our very existence on planet earth. There are also those who believe that all of these catastrophic predictions are perhaps overblown and that, actually, the earth is not headed for certain doom. There is a lot of plausible evidence on both sides of the argument and I profess to be a bit of a “fence-sitter” and prefer to keep an open mind. Like so many other issues in the world today, people on both sides are passionate about their viewpoints and tend not to be swayed from their beliefs, even when confronted with data that challenges their opinions.?Further, as there are really no set standards for the multitude of climate metrics, it’s not that difficult to make existing data confirm whatever your opinion might be.

As it pertains to our travel industry, it is easy to see that the term “carbon emissions” is increasingly being included in the conversation not only for air travel but also in regard to hotel accommodations, rental cars, meetings, rail, cruises, etc.?As there are no globally accepted emission reporting standards, tracking Co2 emissions is an elusive and confusing target. Different reporting systems and procedures can give widely varying estimates when it comes to air travel.

There are a few things we can agree on, however. Travel comprises 8% of global carbon emissions and air travel by itself makes up 3%. This is expected to double in the next decade. There is no denying that jet airplanes produce a lot of Co2. A flight from Singapore to Dubai produces over 65,000 kilograms of Co2. Newer planes produce less of it. Non-stop flights produce less than if a traveller breaks up a trip into two or more segments. The aviation industry is taking all of this very seriously and the jumbo jets of the future will be not only more fuel efficient but will produce less Co2.

Another method of reducing carbon emissions is using Sustainable Aircraft Fuel (SAF). At the present time, it makes up less than 1% of the world's aircraft fuel supply. It’s more expensive than conventional aircraft fuel but many companies are heavily invested in finding ways to produce more of it at a lower cost.

Prior to Covid-19, I believe I only had requests for post-trip Co2 reports from one or two of our Global Travel clients. These are reports that compute the total Co2 “footprint” of their business travel flights and hotels. Since Covid-19, the number of companies requesting these reports has increased to almost a dozen and I’m certain that number will continue to increase.

Now that more and more companies are wanting to know what their carbon footprint is, the next logical step will be “How can I reduce it?” Many international companies are now requesting and even mandating that their business travellers choose flights with lower emissions. The problem with that is that, more often than not, lower emissions do not always equate to the lowest fares. Companies have to balance their commitment to sustainability with staying within their travel budget, which is proving to be a daunting task.

Several online booking tools now give carbon-emission figures for a chosen flight or itinerary. A few of them go even a step further in allowing a traveller to sort flights by carbon emissions by “lowest to highest”, just as you can do for airfares. The next step, I believe will be an online booking tool with an AI algorithm that strikes an intelligent balance between the lowest emissions and the lowest price. I think we will see that in the next few years as companies will begin to request it.

Many governments and companies are now making a commitment to a “net zero” emissions policy and one way these goals are being addressed is with “carbon offsetting” initiatives. One such company, Trees4Travel, offers offsetting initiatives by planting trees. For example, the aforementioned one-way flight from Singapore to Dubai produces 864 kg of Co2 per economy class passenger. To offset this, Trees4Travel says that 6 trees would need to be planted and a company can pay a modest fee for the planting and care of those trees. Obviously, these are just saplings that will need several years to actually offset the Co2 but it’s a positive step in the right direction. They are planted on heavily deforested public lands in places like Haiti, Nepal and Indonesia. The trees are carefully looked after and the species they plant offer economic benefits to the communities where they are planted. An interesting fact – Deforestation actually comprises 20% of global Co2 emissions, second only to power generation which comprises 25%.

I have been doing a lot of research into Sustainability over the last few months but it is such a complex subject. I feel like have just scratched the surface. One thing I know for certain, however, is that Sustainability is going to impact my business......and yours.

As I mentioned before, I’m still a fence-sitter on the climate change debate but all of my research and musings on this subject have definitely raised my awareness of it. It made me realize that, regardless of how serious a threat climate change actually is, there are simple things that I can do and that all of us can do to reduce our carbon footprint and make the world a better place for our children and future generations. A lot of it is just common sense - Reuse, recycle, switch off the lights when you’re not using them, avoid buying products with excess plastic packaging and buy local produce whenever possible. Walk more, drive less, take the stairs sometimes, etc, etc. Small steps add up.

For travellers, choose non-stop flights from airlines with a stated commitment to Sustainability. Here is a list of airlines that are currently doing the most to reduce emissions and promote Sustainability (in no particular order):

·????????Etihad

·????????Delta Airlines

·????????American Airlines

·????????Cathay Pacific

·????????Virgin Atlantic

·????????KLM

·????????Air France

·????????British Airways

·????????United Airlines

·????????Alaska Airlines

We all need to be prepared for the impact that Sustainability will have on our businesses, our travel and on our lives. At Global Travel, we are committed to helping our clients raise their awareness and understanding of these issues and to help them meet their company’s Sustainability objectives. Don't hesitate to get in touch with me if you have any questions or want to know more about the options you or your company might have.

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