Recession impacting 'green' business travel

Companies are putting cost savings before 'green' business travel in the recession, according to latest research by the Association of Corporate Travel Executives (ACTE) and KDS.

But the survey of 329 travel managers, conducted between December 2008 and January 2009, found that Corporate Social Respsonsibility is not just a passing fad.

The survey found that:

- 61% of organisations now have a CSR charter, compared to 59% in 2008

- 27% of organisations prefer to do business with suppliers and partners with a CSR charter

- 28% of corporate travel departments are required to report to management on carbon emissions performance

- the most common CSR activities are reducing energy waste within company buildings (76% of companies), contributing to the local community (55%), cutting carbon emissions in production plans (34%) and using carbon offset arrangements (25%).

- 79% of companies see cost-cutting as the top business travel concern

- 17% see environmentally sustainable travel as a high priority

- overall, environmental sustainability is rated only a mid-level priority for business travel, ranked at this level by 48% of organisations

- only 35% of US respondents said they would consider their carbon emissions when planning business travel, compared to 42% of Europeans

- 70% of respondents said their company has sought reductions in the travel budget to save money, but for US organisations the figure was 80%

- while 54% of respondents said they had been asked to cut their number of business trips because of the economic crisis, for US respondents the figure was 64%.

Susan Gurley, executive director and chief staff officer of ACTE, said: "The survey shows that, contrary to some predictions, CSR has not fallen from favour in these challenging times.

"Instead, the figures show that it is steadily gaining ground and becoming part of the DNA for organisations around the world.

"However, it also puts to rest the myth that good CSR practices automatically include greener travel choices. Under present economic conditions, green travel choices may frequently conflict with the greater urge to cut costs." Report by Bev Fearis Travel Mole website.

Published: 11.2.2009