A Responsible Travel Program in 5 steps
Step 1 - Define your travel program targets and goals in line with your company CSR agenda
Defining clear, measurable, targets and goals is the first and most important step in the responsible transformation of your travel program. Intangible concepts such as sustainability and traveler well-being have a way of being measured. This step will enable the application of tangible goals and targets to measure the responsible elements of your travel program.
Step 2 - Assess your program to create a baseline and strategic plan
Quality data will be essential for this stage. Integrating HR data can help bring insight into the employee behind the trips and incorporating CO2 emission data can add the layer of climate impact and overall carbon footprint your travel program produces.
The assessment stage should equip you with a plan of action moving forward, and help you define the timeline you think your goals can or should be met.
Step 3 - Align with like-minded suppliers
In business travel we rely heavily on our supply partners to achieve our goals, from pricing, to caring for our employees, and being more environmentally conscious on our behalf. Achieving responsible travel goals cannot be done without aligning to supply partners that share these same goals and values.
When working with supply partners, or conducting sourcing exercises, it’s important to discuss and measure all elements of the partnership as they relate to your organization’s triple bottom line of: people, profits and the planet. By not focusing on spend and volumes alone, we open up doors to stronger partnerships with our suppliers.
Step 4 - Report and track goal progress
Data drives decisions, therefore only good data will drive truly good decisions. It’s important to ensure you have the most comprehensive and accurate data possible to monitor your progress towards your responsible travel goals.
Reporting shouldn’t be standard. Different numbers will resonate differently with members of your organization. Therefore, reporting breakdown should mirror your company’s operational structure. This will provide the most insight from your data and be most relevant to the change drivers within your organization.
Step 5 - Implement proactive change into your program
Positive change can be championed by the travel manager through communication and traveler education. The more travelers know about their ability to influence change through their travel behaviors, the better choices they can make the next time they book. Aside from communication, leveraging tools and technology in your travel program can help with change management and implementation of your strategies.
After making all possible efforts to reduce carbon footprint, the final action to take your company carbon neutral is offsetting.
Hear it from the experts
In this video, our experts will walk you through the 5 step approach to building a responsible travel program.