Travel Sustainability Remains A Top Focus 

Travel Sustainability Remains A Top Focus

Bridging the Gap From Knowledge To Action

In the ever-evolving landscape of global travel, the need for sustainable travel practices has never been more pronounced.   As of June 2024, the world reached a sobering milestone: a full year of global warming at or above 1.5 degrees Celsius (source). This risk threshold, established by the UN Paris Agreement in 2015, is a stark reminder of the pressing need to reduce travel carbon emissions.

The implications of this temperature rise are particularly severe for developing countries, many of which are served by our clients. These nations are often the most vulnerable to climate change, facing increased risks of extreme weather events, sea-level rise, and resource scarcity. Challenges like these can worsen existing socio-economic inequalities and hinder sustainable development efforts.

While climate change is measured over decades, the current trajectory raises urgent red flags, highlighting the need for immediate action. Government regulations, such as the EU’s Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), are pushing companies to act, with many citing these mandates as key motivators for greener travel programmes. By addressing these challenges, individuals and organisations alike can not only contribute to global sustainability goals but also support the resilience and growth of communities worldwide.

The Knowledge-Action Gap

Despite widespread agreement on the importance of travel sustainability, a gap persists between knowledge and action. A Business Travel Europe article highlighted this disconnect, revealing that many business travellers still struggle to "walk the talk" on sustainable travel.

The article points out that while many business travellers acknowledge the importance of reducing their carbon footprint, they will not take action if doing so comes at a higher cost.

Factors such as convenience, cost, and a lack of viable sustainable travel options often lead to decisions that contradict the environmental intentions of business travellers. This inconsistency underscores the need for more accessible and practical sustainable travel solutions at the individual level.

Meanwhile, challenges abound for travel managers, with 36% reporting difficulties in providing sustainable options within tight budgets, and nearly 40% anticipating increased complexity from new regulations (source). The logistical hurdles can be daunting, but that's where Key Travel steps in.

Key Travel's Solutions for Sustainable Travel

In the face of growing environmental challenges and the increasing complexity of travel regulations, travel managers are often caught between the pressing need to meet sustainability targets and the practicalities of day-to-day operations. At Key Travel, we understand these challenges and are dedicated to bridging the gap between ambition and action. Our goal is to make sustainable travel not just a possibility, but a straightforward reality for every customer.

To achieve this we offer our customers a programme of sustainable travel tools including:

• Comprehensive CO₂ Measurement: We track certified Scope 3 emissions for our customers for flights, hotels and rail travel and pinpoint areas for improvement through our sector-leading analytics suite, KT Insights, this also offers real-time data and analytics, with access to in-depth carbon tracking & reporting results, empowering organisations to make decisions on their travel programme.
• Flexible Offsetting: Carbon offsetting options at different levels thorough our partnership with Cool Effect, our world leading carbon reduction partner.
• Sustainable Travel policy template with a commitment to reduce CO2.
• Sustainability Audit: Our Treadlighter™ Sustainability Audit, developed in collaboration with WWF UK, assists organisations in creating a comprehensive travel decarbonisation strategy. This audit identifies opportunities for improvement and provides actionable insights to support the transition to more sustainable travel practices.
• Climate Action Plan (CAP) template, supporting our customers in aligning more effectively with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals on Climate Action with regards to their travel activities.

In addition, we also provide as standard:

• Total CO2 emissions on all quotes.
• Access to innovative products such as Carbon-neutral hotel rooms and eco fares, which provide greener travel options at no cost to the customer.
• Ability to sort Online Booking Tool results by lowest carbon emissions option.
• Switching mode flights to rail where viable.

How else are we reducing the environmental impact of our products and services?

At Key Travel, we don’t stop at offering eco-friendly services for our clients. As a company, we’ve already achieved carbon neutrality in 2022, three years ahead of target.  We are the clear industry leader in terms of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) best practices. Every year, we undergo an annual external ESG assessment. In our latest assessment by independent auditors (Dec 2024), we were rated as ESG Leader and our overall score was 54 points ahead of of sector peers graded as Learners.  We also retained for the 13th consecutive year our ISO14001 certification for Environmental Management following a comprehensive audit.

Join Us in Leading the Charge for Sustainable Travel

As we continue to champion sustainable travel, Key Travel remains steadfast in our mission to reduce the cost, complexity, risk, and carbon-impact of travel for non-profit organisations so that they can deploy more of their resources on delivering their mission.  By choosing Key Travel, you're not just selecting a travel management company; you're partnering with an industry leader committed to reducing the environmental impact of those who travel to do good.

Let's make sustainable travel a seamless reality. By working together, we can lead the charge in transforming the travel industry and creating a more sustainable future for all. Join us in making a difference—one journey at a time.