It’s no secret that traveling is one of the biggest impacts that an individual can have on the planet. As corporate travel is fast returning to the norm it is necessary to carefully assess company travel programs to ensure an even more responsible and sustainable approach to travel than ever before.
More than Just CO2
As we emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic, we will need to consider more than just the carbon dioxide emissions in relation to sustainable travel. We need to also consider the smaller contributors that negatively affect sustainability in greater detail.
For example, instead of just relying on a company or route’s CO2 footprint, we need to look at individual flights.
This shift includes a focus on using real-time data. Historical data was useful, but recent years have seen changes with the goal of making air travel more sustainable. Using real-time data instead of historic data allows us to see those changes in real-time and make informed decisions based on more-accurate, current information instead of potentially outdated historical data.
Additionally, businesses looking at CO2 footprints do not want to do so in a vacuum. As they are primarily businesses, they need to strike a balance between sustainability and affordability. This means that practical details like average ticket price are also useful.
Other Factors in Sustainable Travel
In addition to more closely monitoring the carbon dioxide emissions at various levels, the aviation industry is working on other innovations that can improve sustainability.
For example, contrails, the condensation trails planes emit, can release nitrogen oxides, aerosols, and other non-carbon impacts. However, they are typically only produced if the planes fly in very narrow atmospheric bands with enough humidity and coldness. Although research into this is still in its early stage, a study that modeled Japanese aerospace found that simply avoiding routes that go through these atmospheric bands could dramatically reduce contrails’ effects on the climate.
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Data Really IS the Key to Sustainable Travel
Having access to data is the key to sustainable and environmentally responsible travel. Access to the right data gives you insight into which travel decisions have the smallest impact. This allows companies with a large amount of business travelers to minimize their environmental impact.
When you have access to the proper data, you can make informed decisions that maximize both the sustainability and profitability of your trips. Having accurate data in front of travel decision makers enables them to remain informed at all times.
Having Cohesive, Holistic Data Is Crucial
While sustainability is increasingly important in business travel decisions, it is far from the only factor. Making sustainable, environmentally responsible decisions should not come at the detriment of your business’s bottom line. Additionally, you don’t want to sacrifice employee well-being for sustainability for similar reasons, although the relationship is more indirect. Remember that burnt out or travel-fatigued employees will not work as efficiently, which hurts productivity and, as a result, profits.
FairFly Delivers Data
The most efficient and effective method of assessing data to enable responsible travel is to use a service like FairFly. These services allow you to easily access high-level data. This data lets you get the best possible prices while achieving environmentally responsible goals, such as unnecessary flights taken, employee wellness, and responsible spending.