Sustainability is making headway in business travel, but it still faces obstacles
Sustainability is gaining importance in corporate travel management, although translating environmental goals into day-to-day decisions continues to pose challenges. Cost, the availability of alternatives, and the specific needs of the trip itself influence these choices, while companies are incorporating new tools to reduce the environmental footprint of their travel programs.
Sustainability has become a fixture on the business travel agenda, but there is still room for improvement between corporate goals and the decisions made during a trip. This is evident from two BCD Travel studies that analyze this issue from two perspectives: that of business travelers and that of travel program managers.
The first is based on a survey conducted in July 2026 of 748 business travelers worldwide, while the second compiles responses from 73 travel managers and travel buyers. Both studies provide insight into how sustainability commitments are translating into the management practices and behavior of business travelers.
From Goals to Travel Decisions
For companies, reducing the environmental impact of travel involves taking action on various aspects of the travel program. Among the measures being incorporated into corporate policies are carbon budgets, sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), emissions offsetting, and the incorporation of environmental criteria into supplier selection.
However, sustainability policies must coexist with other key factors in travel management, such as cost, availability, trip duration, and the business needs that drive the travel.
This combination of priorities helps explain why the transformation of travel programs does not depend solely on setting emission reduction targets, but also on offering alternatives that can be effectively incorporated into purchasing decisions.
The traveler also enters the equation
Employee behavior is another factor that influences the environmental footprint of business travel. Decisions about how to travel, where to stay, or which options to select during the booking process can contribute to companies? ESG goals.
The information available at the time of booking is therefore particularly important. Providing data on emissions or identifying alternatives with a lower impact allows travelers to incorporate environmental criteria into their choices without losing sight of factors such as price or convenience.
The challenge lies in ensuring that sustainable options are also practical and accessible. When they involve significantly higher costs, longer travel times, or limited availability, adopting them becomes more complicated.
Measure to Reduce
The sustainability of corporate travel is also driving greater attention to emissions measurement. Having data makes it possible to understand how much travel contributes to the organization?s carbon footprint, set goals, and subsequently evaluate progress.
In this context, the selection of suppliers is becoming increasingly important. Airlines, hotels, transportation companies, and other players in the value chain are increasingly subject to the environmental demands of corporate clients.
This evolution takes sustainability beyond the individual traveler?s choices and integrates it into the strategic management of travel programs, from procurement processes to internal policies and booking tools.
A balance between sustainability and operations
The challenge for companies is to move toward travel with a lower environmental impact without losing sight of the purpose of the trip itself. Cost, efficiency, traveler well-being, and sustainability are part of an increasingly complex equation for corporate mobility managers.
The results of the studies thus point to an evolution of the ESG approach in business travel: it is no longer just about reducing travel, but about better managing those trips that remain necessary.
Incorporating environmental information into bookings, measuring emissions, applying ESG criteria to suppliers, and alternatives such as SAF expand the range of available tools. The next step will be to ensure that these measures move from corporate policies to the decisions made for each trip.