Responsible corporate travel: Do execs set a bad example?

While corporate social responsibility is continuing its “upswing” despite a global recession, business executives do not seem to be following suit.

According to a recent ACTE-KDS poll, top managers are taking a “do as I say, not as I do” attitude when it comes to green, responsible travel practices.

Between December 2009 and January 2010, the opinions of 317 business travelers and procurement and travel executives were gauged via an online poll in an effort to survey the attitudes towards business travel and the environment. The poll, conducted by the Association of Corporate Travel Executives (ACTE) and KDS, a European leader in online Travel & Expense management systems, shows that even though cost-cutting is a top business travel priority for organizations, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programs are still regarded in high favor.

While many employers cut the amount of business travel undertaken in 2009 (around 19% say travel reductions resulted from CSR goals as well as cost-cutting objectives), the majority of respondents (46%) said that supporting environmental sustainability is also still a mid-tier corporate concern.

However, most respondents (45%) say top managers set a bad example in the ‘greenness’ of their travel choices. The worst offenders are in France and United States: 44% of respondents in France say their managers set a poor example (good example: 36%); bosses in the US are also slammed by 44% of respondents (supported by 39%).

The UK has the most “virtuous bosses”, whose travel choices are approved of by 51% of UK respondents (although criticized by 41%).

“It is a great relief to see that Corporate Social Responsibility remains a strong priority for many corporations, and an equally strong concern for travelers, who are making an effort to reduce their impact on the planet,” said ACTE President Richard Crum. “It is understandable that the last year has seen corporate leadership focus on the financial health of their companies. However, it is important to recognize that truly sustainable businesses balance the demands of shareholders with respect for the environment and the people and communities they impact every day.”

Hope and frustration

Despite the need and desire for a quick economic recovery, almost three-quarters of the survey’s respondents expect to travel only the same amount this year as 2009, or even less (51%: travel unchanged; 21%: fewer trips).

On a higher note, however, the number of travel departments believed to report to senior management on business travel carbon emissions jumped by 6% – from 55% in 2009 to 61% this year.

“It is great to see that CSR has been taken to heart by so many organizations,” said Yves Weisselberger, CEO of KDS. “However, the survey reveals that employees would like more help in making green travel choices. Online travel booking tools can be powerful in this regard, helping with policy enforcement, carbon calculators and highlighting low-carbon options. However, there is still much more to be done through employee communications, and here – as in their individual travel choices – top managers must take the lead.”

When asked what might help them travel in a more ecologically-conscious way, most (66%) respondents said that they would like greater information about the carbon emissions of a travel option before booking. Some 59% of respondents say they would like more guidance on their employers’ CSR and travel policies.

What do you think – are employers setting the wrong standards for responsible travel within their organizations?

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