Sustainability and climate action are squarely in the worldwide spotlight this week with the United Nations’ COP27 underway and a focus on the Paris Agreement to limit global warming to one-and-half degrees Celsius for the future of people and the planet.

In parallel, today GBTA is leading the discussion on collective climate action and solutions for the global business travel industry at our first-ever one-day Sustainability Summit in Brussels. Nearly 300 industry leaders, policy makers and partners have gathered – an acknowledgement that our industry’s sustainability journey is a critical one.

The UN’s Race to Zero is a global campaign to rally support from businesses, governments, NGOs and investors for a zero-carbon recovery.

For our industry, it means eliminating the carbon footprint of global business travel – a daunting but necessary task to curb future climate threats and to enable inclusive, sustainable growth. And it ultimately means continuing to enable people to conduct business through necessary travel, while working toward what is right for society and the planet.

Through our Sustainability Program, GBTA has been actively facilitating a path to continue to connect people and leverage business travel as a force for good.

During today’s Summit, we’re exploring deep expert perspectives, innovative ideas, and frank discussions, as well as conducting a think tank to begin mapping a climate action plan for our industry. There’s a long road ahead and we’ll be sharing more insights, but each step marks progress. There are three essential factors we see in the journey toward a greener future for business travel:

Capacity building will be critical. Our industry – both buyers and suppliers – will truly be the actors of change.
The role of experts and advisors within GBTA – the Sustainability Leadership Council, Corporate Advisory Board and GBTA sustainability committee – will provide direction on our efforts to make sure we focus our energy where it’s most needed.

Partnerships will also be key. We must work together as an industry to truly have an impact and reach Net Zero.
Post-Summit, at GBTA’s Europe Conference with VDR and beyond, this important dialogue will continue. We are grateful to our members, partners and the industry for joining us in Brussels and as champions for sustainability in your sectors, companies and travel programs.

The only way we’ll get to a greener future for global business travel is by getting there together.