Global Action Plan to put smarter business travel on the agenda

Companies that cut down on business travel and adopt smarter working practices can reduce costs, carbon emissions and increase productivity, according to environmental charity Global Action Plan (GAP).


The message comes as GAP launches a national campaign to challenge the sustainability of business travel in the UK.

Launched in alliance with thetrainline.com Business (TTL Business), East Coast, Virgin Trains, and ScotRail, the Rail Partnership campaign aims to highlight the strategic importance of business travel as a key boardroom issue and put it firmly on the corporate sustainability agenda.

According to GAP, the partnership will help companies overcome the barriers to adopting smarter ways to work by rethinking when to travel, how to travel, and how to measure the impact of travel across an organisation.

UK businesses currently spend £17.5bn a year on travel and GAP claims that businesses already engaged in smarter working have successfully reduced costs while improving productivity and reducing their impact on the environment.

The Rail Partnership will work with up to 12 major corporate TTL Business customers over the next six months.

The process will look to review customers’ business travel data and study the journeys they make, looking at the best mode of transport and where travel can be avoided altogether. It will also identify how to overcome barriersand embed smarter working practices.

GAP partner Shelley McIvor said: “A few leading companies recognise that reconsidering how we work and where we work is the next major agenda for unlocking productivity and improving the sustainability of our businesses in today’s economic and social climate.

“Smart business travel is a strategic issue which can make a significant difference to business and bottom line performance whilst meeting the challenges we all have to reduce our impact on the environment”.

“Companies pioneering smarter working have reduced costs, increased productivity, improved quality of life for their staff and reduced their impact on the environment. We want to put business travel on the agenda of every board in the country”.

Conor McGlone

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