In November 2022, close to 300 delegates - including 100 corporate travel managers - gathered in Brussels for GBTA’s first-ever Global Business Travel Sustainability Summit.

Participants from 20 countries, including business travel professionals, policymakers, NGOs, and experts, tackled the most critical sustainability issues impacting the business travel industry.

Through panel discussions, breakouts and an interactive session on climate action planning, the business travel community showcased their strong commitment towards decarbonizing the industry.

The engagement signaled a recognition that in order to continue to enjoy the notable benefits that business travel brings to the global economy, a collective approach to decarbonization is critical – and taking action is of the utmost importance.

GBTA Sustainability Summit, November 2022, Brussels
Key Takeaways

1. Radical collaboration across all stakeholders is essential to unlocking the green transition – with governments providing enabling policies, businesses driving investments and delivering solutions, and civil society advancing and advocating for higher ambitions.

2. Business travel has an opportunity to play a leading role and become the frontrunner in reducing emissions now while also scaling up the next generation of solutions.

3. It is essential to standardize sustainability criteria and harmonize methodologies to report on Scope 3.6 emissions so that we are all speaking the same language and can compare apples to apples.

4. Aggregated demand on the corporate side and prioritizing sustainability in their procurement decisions will compel suppliers to
improve their ESG performance.

5. While most companies are now incorporating some elements of a decarbonization strategy, no one is perfect, and it is important to share case studies and best practices so that we can learn from each other.

6. Senior management buy-in is critical to a decarbonization strategy, as it impacts the entire company culture. Travel managers need to provide their leadership with clear data to influence sustainability decision-making.

7. The business travel community must send a strong demand signal for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), which is a critical tool in the short and medium-term towards Net Zero commitments.

Read the full report here