Cost and the variation in the availability and methodology of carbon emissions data are the main obstacles to corporates meeting their sustainability commitments.
This was according to a sustainability roundtable hosted by SilverDoor, with representatives from EY, Graebel, Clarity Business Travel and property partner Edyn.
Cost was said to be the biggest barrier to businesses achieving their sustainability targets, both within travel programmes and across their wider operations.
The changing geopolitical landscape is sharpening the focus on cost perhaps at the expense of sustainability for many business owners with Trump’s tariffs adding to economic uncertainty.
Alongside cost, fragmented data sets present challenges for corporates working to establish a clear view of the environmental impact of their travel and operations.
For EY’s Siân Ellis, diversity of travel emissions between geographies is due “partly to budget, partly to culture, but also levels of railway connectivity”.
For Graebel’s Seb Hutchings diversity also raises challenges for relocation clients. “Because there are so many different elements to a relocation, how do you get that data fed back from your supply chain. Legislation, certifications, implementations vary widely. It can be very challenging within certain frameworks to get the data you need.”
There is a strong appetite from clients for carbon emissions data to better inform and progress sustainability initiatives. They are interested in collaboration and want to know what initiatives are in place.
Edyn’s Pete Richardson said: “A big part of sustainability is about transparency – I don’t think you should be ashamed if you haven’t managed to hit your targets. Companies might just have to rethink what the target should be going forward.”
Greater collaboration and integration with the supply chain is also essential but should be underpinned by a degree of flexibility.
The panel agreed that having a sustainability sourcing framework in place is key to guiding supplier selection, as is the need for consistency where policies align with corporate goals.
