American Express Global Business Travel (GBT) announces the addition of a new green hotel badge to its proprietary travel and expense software, Neo.

The new display is the latest in a series of developments to support GBT’s commitment to helping companies attain their carbon ambitions by enabling travelers to choose sustainable transport and hotel options.

With the latest release, Neo can now be configured to display a specifically designed badge next to hotel options that meet a company’s environmental standards. Neo has long included carbon emission details for flights and trains and recently added a filter to this feature. It allows users to more easily choose flight and train options with CO² emissions that match their carbon goals.

A recent WTTC report found that 58% of consumers were thinking more about the environment since COVID-19. Vincent Bourbonnais, Head of Travel Product at Neo, said: “We know sustainable travel remains a priority for travelers and travel managers. When travelers see a trip’s carbon footprint at the point of booking, it enables them to make better-informed decisions. Now travel managers can provide sustainability guidance on hotels as well as transport in Neo, which helps make trips more sustainable and aligned with environmental goals.”

In addition to new booking display features, Neo developers continuously update the CO² emissions factors with regulatory guidance from organizations including DEFRA (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) in the UK and ADEME (Agence de l’environnement et de la maitrise de l’énergie) in France. Future updates may include methodology from the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) in the US and the International Civil Aviation Organization under the auspices of the United Nations.

As part of its commitment to a more sustainable business travel industry, GBT will continue developing sustainability features and programmes. Upcoming versions of Neo will highlight electric and hybrid vehicles in the search display, making it possible for travelers to easily recognise more sustainable options.

GBT also plans to help companies offset business travel CO² emissions in partnership with preferred carbon offset providers. In 2019, GBT made a carbon neutrality pledge for the future and offset 100% of its own travel emissions via the Carbonfund Foundation.