London-based TMC Reed & Mackay is to provide clients with “enhanced” sustainability through a new partnership with carbon emissions platform Squake.
The arrangement will allow Reed & Mackay to provide CO2 emissions and sustainability comparison data across air, rail, hotel and car rental, so that travellers can “assess the impact of their travel decisions and make smart selections at the point of sale”.
Squake’s carbon data will be integrated through an API into Reed & Mackay’s online and mobile booking tool, approval engine and reporting suite. It will also be available through the TMC’s consultant booking platform.
The information will allow both bookers and travellers to compare flights based on emissions performance, including aircraft type, load factors and routing. Hotels can be compared by their sustainability performance ratings, while ground transport will be assessed on fuel, engine and car type.
Travel managers will also be able to use Reed & Mackay’s policy engine to “hone” their own specific CO2 parameters and set restrictions.
The TMC previously used the DEFRA (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) conversion for CO2 emissions, which is a generic average that does not enable comparison between options.
Reed & Mackay’s CEO Fred Stratford said: “The introduction of Squake’s granular CO2 data into our booking platforms will allow our clients to further tailor their travel requirements to meet their sustainability goals and drive down their CO2 footprint.”
As well as providing carbon calculations, Squake also offers several mitigation options for travel-related emissions, such as buying carbon credits issued by verified climate projects or contributing towards the purchase of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).
Reed & Mackay has already become a participant in the United Nations Global Compact scheme, as well as partnering - alongside parent company TripActions - with SAF supplier Neste. The TMC has also committed to setting carbon reduction targets, including reaching net-zero emissions by 2050, with the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi).
Earlier this month, Netherlands-based ATG Travel Worldwide also announced it would be connecting to Squake’s platform to provide carbon data to clients.