Business travel recognizes the true value of green

The National Business Travel Association (NBTA) awarded its first Corporate Social Responsibility Awards (CSR) to Symantec and InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) for innovative programs and initiatives that recognize the mission and objectives of the NBTA CSR Committee.

Representatives from each winning corporation accepted the awards from former NBTA President & CEO and current CSR Award Committee Chair Suzanne Fletcher at the first Green Travel Summit in Newport Beach, CA, which was co-sponsored by NBTA.

“Corporate Social Responsibility is an increasingly important component of corporate life,” says Kevin Maguire, NBTA President & CEO, CCTE, GLP. “The winning companies of the first NBTA CSR awards, which were selected from dozens of applicants through a rigorous review process, have proven to the industry that a well-managed CSR program and creative social initiatives can successfully reduce the global environmental impact of business travel.”

Symantec, a security solutions company with more than 17,500 employees in more than 40 countries, won in the “Direct” (travel buyer) category for its initiatives to minimize carbon emissions with enhanced video conferencing and a regional commute-reduction program. Since 2006, Symantec has reduced annual employee auto trips in the San Francisco area by 11 percent, resulting in a 9 percent decrease in emissions of carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and other air pollutants. The installation of video conference equipment in multiple global locations based on employee travel patters has reduced non-essential business travel. Symantec aims to reduce carbon emissions by 15 percent by the end of fiscal year 2012.

IHG won in the “Allied” (travel supplier) category for its commitment to supporting societal needs and reducing environmental impacts. Through its Americas region sustainability initiative Chase the Extraordinary, a grassroots campaign to engage employees at every level in the hotel, a team visited 208 hotels across North America to reinforce sustainability. IHG has reduced waste by 60% via recycling programs, saved $2.28 million worth of electricity, saved $139,715 with reduced garbage collections from 14 to 5 per month, and saves 22,000 liters of water each month in a 100 room hotel via its water reduction pilot Conserving for Tomorrow.

“The NBTA CSR Committee was established to provide leadership and resources to help NBTA member organizations understand the balance between the social, economic and environmental impact of their business travel programs,” said Leilani Latimer, NBTA CSR Committee Vice Chair and Director of Sustainability Initiatives at Sabre Holdings. “The initiatives undertaken by these winners and all applicants serve as perfect examples of how businesses can create long term, sustainable value for their key stakeholders, from investors to employees and communities.”

Award winner semi-finalists included KPMG, Kimpton Hotels and Continental Airlines.

Latimer and NBTA CSR Committee member Mary Ellen George, General Manager, Advito, spoke to Summit attendees about practical ways to recession-proof corporate travel programs by applying sustainability practices detailed in NBTA’s CSR Toolkit. Fletcher moderated a second NBTA session highlighting award-winner CSR efforts and programs.

The National Business Travel Association (NBTA) is the world’s premier business travel and corporate meetings organization. NBTA and its regional affiliates – NBTA Asia Pacific, the Brazilian Business Travel Association (ABGEV), NBTA Canada, NBTA Mexico and NBTA USA – serve a network of more than 15,000 business travel professionals around the globe with industry-leading events, networking, education & professional development, research, news & information, and advocacy.

NBTA members, numbering more than 4,000 in 30 nations, are corporate and government travel and meetings managers, as well as travel service providers. They collectively manage and direct more than US$200 billion of global business travel and meetings expenditures annually on behalf of more than 10 million business travelers within their organizations. For more information, visit www.nbta.org.