BT4Europe, a European network of business travel associations, has called for EU legislators in the European Parliament and European Court to go further with its CountEmissions proposal.
The CountEmissions proposal is an initiative which sets out a common framework to count transport-related GHG emissions. BT4Europe originally made its case for standardised emissions reporting in September.
Data and transparent information from CountEmissions will also allow service providers to monitor, and therefore reduce, their emissions so buyers and business travellers have a transparent way to choose more sustainable options.
BT4Europe, which represents 13 business travel associations across Europe, says there needs to be a single voluntary standard for counting these emissions.
Angela Lille, chair of BT4Europe’s Sustainability Working Group says although the proposal is welcome, more commitment is needed: “Currently a myriad of standards for CO2 exists, which makes reporting
incoherent and questionable, so a proposal for a single voluntary
standard to count GHG emissions from transport is a welcome, and vital
first step, but more commitment is needed.”
Lille pointed out that business travel buyers want to make greener choices, but reliable data on environmental footprint is missing.
As CO2 emissions data is more readily available BT4Europe thinks there should be a standard CO2 emissions calculation methodology for business travel services. This would then improve the quality of reporting and metrics from the obligatory non-financial reports, which are regulated by the CRSD.
The idea is that there would be a default value to drive the travel decisions at the point of sale, as according to BT4Europe “correct reporting is not enough to drive change.”
BT4Europe also called for all travel service suppliers to provide, free of charge, a standardised CO2 calculation baseline and the corresponding emissions in digital form, for companies of all sizes.
Finally, the group wants to export the CountEmission EU standard into other regions of importance for European business travel, such as North America, “because ultimately a global standard is needed”.
Lille said BT4Europe would push regulators to widen the scope to
include accommodation too, as hotels and accommodation are an integral
part of business travel.
Earlier this month BT4Europe urged the European Commission to "urgently" press ahead with digitalising travel documents to make traveling easier.