Business Travel Show Europe pledges to reach Net Zero by 2050 and halve carbon emissions by 2030

Business Travel Show Europe has signed the Net Zero Carbon Events Pledge and is committed to halving carbon emissions by 2030 and reaching Net Zero by 2050.

Working with strategic partner isla, Business Travel Show Europe and its parent company Northstar Travel Group are committing to supporting the net zero goal to inspire change in the travel, meetings and hospitality sectors and champion future sustainable growth.

Part of this commitment will see the return of the Ethical Travel Trail to this year’s event, which takes place 29-30 June 2022 at ExCeL London. This highlights the exhibitors and conference sessions at the show that can help buyers to travel further, faster along their sustainability journey.

Exhibitors already confirmed to take part in this year’s Ethical Travel Trail include Addison Lee, Agiito, Airplus International, Avanti West Coast, BCD Travel, Clarity, CTM, Diversity Travel, Easy2Call, Easyjet, Edyn, Emburse, Hard Rock Hotels, Hilton, HRS, Inntel, JTB Business Travel, London Hilton on Park Lane, Lufthansa, Mastercard, hubli by Meetingsbooker, National Express, Peregrine Risk Management, SAP Concur, The Trainline, Thrust Carbon, TravelPerk, TroopTravel, Uber, United Airlines and Waldorf Astoria.

The Ethical Travel conference sessions looking at sustainability, D, E&I and ESG issues are:

• What does an environmentally sustainable travel programme look like?
• Will Sustainable Aviation Fuel decarbonise my company’s business travel emissions?
• It’s okay not to be okay – How do we improve mental health for travellers and travel professionals?
• Making diversity, equity and inclusion a reality in business travel
• How can we make travel sustainability reporting better?
• Sustainability – How to reduce your company’s travel-related carbon emissions

Ford Motor Company global travel manager Stephen Swift explained what action he’ll be taking this year to make his travel programme more sustainable:

“Offering greener choice flights through the OBT, choosing hotels with a focus on sustainability, choosing electric vehicles where possible. Our TMC is a great partner in this regard. Our company is embarking on a huge drive towards electrification and a re-orientation away from internal combustion engines. This is exciting for us as an organisation, so it is important we echo this drive to reduced carbon emissions in our programme.”

Before the end of 2023, Business Travel Show Europe will publish its pathway to achieving net zero by 2050 with an interim target that is in line with the Paris Agreement’s requirement to reduce global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 50% by 2030. 

“This year, we will measure and track GHG emissions according to industry best practice,” confirmed Louis Magliaro, BTN Group Executive VP. “The data outcomes will inform future decision-making and support us to drive more effective collaboration with partners and suppliers to reduce emissions, as well as use the learnings to facilitate and encourage positive change among our supply chain and exhibitors.”