Much of the global business travel industry has already made sustainable business travel a priority with a focus on reducing emissions and its environmental footprint.

But the industry as well as external stakeholders recognize more needs to be done. GBTA explores this and more in a landmark research study released today – "The State of Sustainability in the Global Business Travel Sector.”

The 21-page study brings together insights from 762 industry professionals and 100 external stakeholders around the world to benchmark perceptions, priorities, and actionable opportunities for more sustainable business travel.

“There’s no longer the debate whether we should engage in sustainable actions for business travel, but how we turn ambition into action. Investing in sustainable solutions must be part of our game plan today to make sure we can still connect people and travel for business tomorrow,” said Delphine Millot, Senior Vice President, Sustainability, GBTA.

Here’s just a few takeaways from the report:

• Almost 9 in 10 industry respondents (89%) collectively say that sustainability is already a priority for their company.

• Only 14% say that the industry is currently well advanced on sustainability – but improvements are being made as 76% of travel buyers have already incorporated or are planning to incorporate sustainability objectives in their travel policies.

• 80% of the global business travel industry report having a sustainability team and/or a sustainability program in place and are already measuring (55%) and reporting (56%) on environmental impact of their business travel activities.

• 90% of travel buyers and 88% of travel suppliers say GBTA should play a role in guiding the industry in a shared sustainability journey.

GBTA’s full report can be downloaded here and is also available to members on The GBTA Hub. The report and the GBTA Sustainability Program are supported by the association’s Founding Partners in Sustainability.