8 things your peers are doing to achieve sustainable travel

A year spent working on couches and at kitchen tables has taught us we are still capable of great change. It showed us we can do what was once thought improbable, if not impossible. And now, as we slowly take to the road, rail, and sky again, we must refrain from going back on autopilot.

We must make another great change and do the impossible once again: We must reshape how we manage travel and expenses by rethinking our programs and making them sustainable.

This guide will get you started. And while this will be an ongoing, always improving effort, the tips you will find here are working across industries and around the world. Here is a glimpse of just a few:

Take it to the top. Nothing succeeds without the C-suite. So, engaging them and getting their buy-in – early – is critical to any endeavor, let alone one as significant as sustainable travel. Their endorsement lends credibility to your efforts, but to get it, you will need to demonstrate that your goals for sustainability match their goals for the organization.

Think bigger. Sustainability is an enormous undertaking, but doing it right takes even bigger ideas and the ability to see a much larger picture. It is, in fact, about more than traditional environmental measures and more than travel itself: Truly sustainable companies cover issues like diversity and inclusion, equality, and accessibility.

Avoid greenwashing. Make sure your organization is devoted to actual improvement and commit to a science-based approach with targets based on measurable impact. Then show the numbers: Provide data on what you are doing and how it is working. That way, you can gauge – and prove – the effects of your efforts, all across your organization and along your supply chain. And be certain you are seeing real results before telling your sustainability story – either internally or externally.

Make the most of employee momentum. If your travelers are not already talking about sustainability, they will be, and you are going to hear it. Your colleagues and competitors are getting an earful from new hires and road warriors alike, and it is a frequent topic in travel forums, where employees are asking difficult questions and demanding answers.

Download this eBook for more tips to help you keep the sustainability conversation going.