Travel managers are coming under growing pressure to implement sustainable practices but this is still not being translated into sustainable practices.

A majority of travel managers say that in the past year they have received requests from employees (57%) and senior leadership (57%) to implement more sustainable travel practices

That’s the finding of new research carried out by SAP Concur with the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA), who say it’s corporations that are capable of steering us toward a more sustainable future, but much work needs to be done.

An online survey carried out among corporate travel buyers in Europe last month found that travel managers are receiving pressure to implement sustainable practices, with a majority of travel managers saying that in the past year they have received such requests from employees (57%) and senior leadership (57%).

According to the survey results, across Europe over 70% of travel managers believe it is important to empower employees to make sustainable travel choices, including:

• Providing employees with sustainable options in the booking process (72%)
• Encouraging employees to make sustainable choices (78%)
• Receiving reports to calculate carbon emissions (85%)

Also promising is the fact that 62% plan to mandate or encourage employees to book with suppliers using sustainable practices in the next 1-2 years.

Commenting on the figures, Pierre-Emmanuel Tetaz, SVP & GM – EMEA at SAP Concur, said: “The power to make real, tangible changes lies with big businesses, so it’s really encouraging to see this thinking is shared by travel managers across Europe. Really, what we need to see is this positivity translated into employee education and travel & expense business practices, and the survey seems to be nodding in the right direction, which is fantastic.

“Business travel is a core part of all global business, so it’s crucial we find a way to mitigate the damage it causes the environment. We’re very fortunate to be in a position where technological developments are helping us solve problems like these, so it’s about how we use and apply this tech to help reduce the damage done.”