Corporate travel policies to improve your organisation’s carbon footprint

Independent research by PWC indicates that corporate travel is a large contributor to the world’s carbon emissions, and up to 55% of an organisation’s own CO footprint can alone be attributed to corporate air and road travel.  George Monbiot, known for his environmental activism, in a 2006 column, says: “Aviation has been growing faster than any other source of greenhouse gases. Between 1990 and 2004, the number of people using airports in the UK rose by 120%, and the energy the planes consumed increased by 79%. Their carbon dioxide emissions almost doubled in that period – from 20.1 to 39.5 megatonnes, or 5.5% of all the emissions this country produces. Unless something is done to stop this growth, flying will soon overwhelm all the cuts we manage to make elsewhere.”[43]

In our businesses, reducing company travel (and making this mandatory through HR policy) is a simple but high impact solution that can make a real difference. Technology has made global communication efficient and relatively inexpensive. Web conferencing through Skype or Fuze for example makes cross-regional catch ups easy and when used in our own business, does indeed make one feel like a colleague or supplier is far more accessible than before. Video conferencing is also another solution that multinationals know well. In fact, 83% of Top Employers favour web-based conference facilities over travelling in person, and some 70% offer a reduced company travel schedule as part of flexible work options. Additional benefits include more time at the office (being productive) and for employees with families, less time away from home.

Mandating the usage of clever communication technology over the option of flights, hotel, and transfer/car hire will constitute a leap forward in business thinking and practice. Shifting our perspective on how we connect with each other is the key. It begins with understanding the time, financial and environmental wastefulness of travelling in person versus simply logging into Skype to have the very same meeting. And then, we should imagine a future where relationships could be built on doing the right thing and delivering on a shared responsibility rather than a physical meeting and a warm handshake. Similarly in the conferencing and event industry where air and road travel is significant, could we imagine greener ways of hosting our events and so connect individuals through that shared responsibility rather than requiring their physical presence that has no guarantee of any shared experience at all.

Green thinking in green buildings

‘Green thinking’ is fast becoming part of corporate DNA. Truly green companies are still in the minority, although they set an inspiring example. Nestlé, a consequetively certified Top Employer, has been the recipient of a number of green awards worldwide, including the Stockholm Industry Water Award and the U.S. Green Building Council’s award for a building which uses melted alpine snow in its cooling systems, and burnt ground coffee waste as a heating source. In 2009, Nespresso and Rainforest Alliance signed an ‘Ecolaboration’ pact, aiming to reduce environmental impacts and make 80% of Nespresso’s coffee come from RA-certified sustainable farms by the end of 2013.

In 2010, Nestlé South Africa unveiled its new sustainable Head Office in Bryanston, Johannesburg. This building boasts low-energy geysers, and atriums that maximise natural lighting. The air-conditioning plant uses Ammonia Chillers, which consume 40% less energy and reduce carbon emissions.

Group Five, another certified Top Employer (in the construction and engineering sector in South Africa), also has impressive credentials. It is a founding member of the Green Building Council of South Africa (GBCSA), which aims to lead the South African property industry to design, build and operate buildings sustainably. Group Five achieved the highest rating of a JSE Top 100 listed construction company in the 2011 Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), thanks to its ‘green team’, which covers all operating divisions and identifies opportunities relating to climate change.

“To address carbon reduction, Group Five implemented a management culture that…reinforces the centrality of sustainability,” Celia Becker, country risk director at Group Five, explained.

But the answer isn’t in green buildings alone. If 55% of a company’s carbon footprint comes from travel, it’s not enough simply to turn down the air-conditioning – you need to conserve your movement, too. As Chris Hagerbaumer, deputy director of the Oregon Environmental Council, put it to Oregon Business: “Ideally, businesses should take a proactive approach to limit travel-related carbon emissions before they are made. Holding meetings electronically reduces the cost of business travel and decreases travel-related emissions.” And, Hagerbaumer adds, where travel is imperative, companies should purchase carbon offsets.

Businesses, globally, need to “be engaged in the challenge of how we transition to a low-carbon economy. The transition to a low carbon future is inevitable and those that manage this risk proactively will be better geared for this emerging economy.” Imagine the possibilities for carbon emission reduction when not just 83% of Top Employers, but all businesses mandate their staff to make better choices when it comes to travel and communication.

*Trends in global CO2 emissions; 2012 Report; J.G.J. Olivier, G. Janssens-Maenhout, J.A.H.W. Peters; 18 July 2012

Do you agree that HR policies regarding corporate travel and corporate communications should implemented to ensure an organisation’s active role in helping to reduce its carbon footprint?