WORLDWIDE: The Global Business Travel Association Foundation (GBTA) has teamed up with The Sustainable Hospitality Alliance to help the global business travel industry create a positive impact and a better future for people and the planet.
The business travel sector represented $1.4 trillion in pre-pandemic (2019) global travel spending annually and sustainability has become an increasingly important factor for business travel buyers and suppliers.
Through the partnership, both organisations will be collaborating to build a more sustainable future for business travel by working across both the business travel community and the hospitality providers and suppliers which accommodate them.
GBTA research shows that the business travel sector worldwide views addressing climate change as the number one priority area for action (88 per cent), and are putting tangible steps in place.
Three-quarters (76 per cent) of travel buyers report they have already incorporated or are planning to incorporate sustainability objectives in their company’s travel policies.
One of the challenges reported by business travel buyers is the lack of transparent sustainability data, with 63 per cent of the industry wanting improved access to data.
As such, a more robust approach to carbon measurement for the accommodation sector through the Hotel Carbon Measurement Initiative (HCMI) – a carbon calculation methodology developed by the Sustainable Hospitality Alliance will be aligned. We reported the updated HCMI story here.
Already in use across the hotel industry, the HCMI tool is recognised by GBTA as a go-to standard measurement for hotels at any stage in their sustainability journey and is included in GBTA’s revamped Sustainability Toolkit – a guide for corporate travel managers to track and improve the environmental performance of their travel programs.
Glenn Mandziuk, CEO, Sustainable Hospitality Alliance said: “If we are to make net positive hospitality a reality, we need to involve all parts of the hospitality chain from owner to guest. We are therefore delighted to be partnering with the GBTA Foundation. This partnership brings together our reach and expertise within the hospitality sector with GBTA’s impact in the business travel community to ensure travellers can conduct business globally while doing what is right for society and the planet.”
Delphine Millot, SVP sustainability, GBTA, said: “Harmonising the way emissions are measured on an industry-wide, global scale is critical to allow corporations to effectively calculate and compare emissions from their hotel stays. HCMI, given its accuracy, availability and transparency, provides the right framework for the hospitality sector. GBTA looks forward to collaborating with the Sustainable Hospitality Alliance to ensure a wider use and uptake of HCMI as a go-to standard for hotels’ carbon measurement.”
Image: The Sustainable Hospitality Alliance
