Anyone who has ever managed a corporate travel programme knows it’s no small task. It takes negotiation, problem-solving, data analysis and empathy – often all in the same day.

Managing travel is complex: rarely perfect scenarios, only the best possible compromise. Somehow, you manage to keep travellers happy, balance budgets and ensure smooth operations.

Then sustainability appears.

And suddenly, you are being asked to consider carbon footprints, climate goals and supply chain impacts on top of everything else! It feels like an entirely new role. But here’s the truth: you already have the exact skills needed to master it.

Sustainability isn’t about perfection. The secret is something called “systems thinking”. The ability to see the whole picture, understanding how things connect and making smart, balanced decisions. Sound familiar? That’s exactly what you do every single day. Budget versus traveller preference. Policy versus flexibility. You already think this way.

It’s like sustainability used the travel industry as its role model when trying to figure out how to do things. From the unbelievable use of acronyms, confusing guidelines (that are constantly changing) to the overall complexity of it all. No wonder it all made sense to me after years in travel.

Let’s talk Scope 3 – the category that includes business travel and usually makes up the largest chunk of a company’s footprint. If your company is serious about cutting emissions, this can’t be ignored. And it’s your domain. You already collect the data, influence decisions and shape policy. The only shift needed is the narrative

And let’s be honest for a moment, there’s a lot of waiting for the sustainability team to swoop in and fix everything. But here’s the reality, sustainability isn’t a solo act, it is a team sport. The companies getting this right are bringing every department onto the playing field.

Here is where travel managers have a real edge. You are natural communicators. You know how to explain complex concepts in a way that resonates. You know how to connect with people. Balancing the needs of finance, HR, operations, and travellers to keep a complex system moving smoothly.

Sustainability can be your superpower. Not a burden. Aligning your programme with your company’s sustainability goals adds real, strategic value. It helps prove return on investment in new ways.

While other departments wait for direction, you can take the lead. Show that managed travel isn’t a blocker to sustainability, it is a key enabler.

You’ve been building these skills for years. Now it’s time to use them to your advantage.

Louise Toure is Sustainability Officer for ATPI, responsible for embedding ESG strategy across the business and helping clients deliver more responsible travel programmes. Sustainability at ATPI is a core philosophy, centred on long-term impact rather than box-ticking. Through its evolve initiatives, ATPI Halo carbon services, and ATPI Inspires volunteering programme, it is driving measurable progress towards a more resilient future.

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