The winners of the BTN Group’s inaugural Business Travel Sustainability Awards Europe were announced today, with 11 companies, teams and individuals among the winners.
Unveiled at the close of today’s third annual Business Travel Sustainability Summit Europe in London, the winners were subject to a two-stage entry process and were selected by a panel of judges who sought to identify the suppliers and corporates best advancing sustainability within their own operations and for the benefit of their clients.
The winners were as follows:
Achievement in Sustainability - Accommodation Provider: The Squa.reServiced Apartments
What the judges said: The judges commended this provider for developing a tool that utilises artificial intelligence and measures energy efficiency, energy consumption, green energy suppliers and green transportation to provide an overall score for each unit, allowing customers to make carbon-conscious decisions at the time of booking.
Achievement in Sustainability - Airline: EasyJet
What the judges said:
The judges
commended easyJet in particular for its investment in carbon reduction, including zero carbon emission
technology such as hydrogen. They are a leader in their commitment as
demonstrated by both validation and approval by the Science Based Target
Initiatives.
Achievement in Sustainability - Ground Transportation Provider: Addison Lee Ltd
What the judges said: The the submission from the winning organisation reflected an impressive achievement and investment with significant progress towards reaching a fully electric fleet by the end of this year. The judges also noted that the complementary community work in schools should be commended.
Achievement in Sustainability - Rail Operator: Eurostar International Ltd
What the judges said: The judges applauded the winner of this category for having signed the UN Race to Net Zero and the move towards using 100 per cent renewable electricity by 2030. They are a compelling alternative to air for Europe and are a major contributor to reducing aviation emissions on three key routes.
Achievement in Sustainability - Corporate Booking Platform: Corporate Travel Management
What the judges said: The judges
commended CTM for the comprehensive list of functionalities
in its booking tool, as well as its free sustainability consulting offering. They
have strong, documented results with current customers, said the judges.
Achievement in Sustainability - TMC: Reed & Mackay
What the judges said: The judges applauded Reed & Mackay for their comprehensive partnerships with and recognition from credible bodies, such as CDP Climate and Ecovadis. They provided clear detail on how they support their clients in working towards their own sustainability goals from information shared at POS through a traffic light system, a bespoke dashboard, support on changes to travel policy and reporting functionality.
Achievement in Advancing Sustainability Data & Reporting: CWT
What the judges said: The judges commended CWT for its long-standing and documented commitment to sustainability both for its internal operations as well as that of its clients. The documented results of incorporating sustainability data into the sourcing activities of their customers allows them to see tangible differences in supplier sustainability capabilities, allowing the customer to make more informed sourcing decisions.
Achievement in Sustainability - Meetings & Events: Melia Hotels International
What the judges said: The judges commended Melia for the implementation and documented success of their tool which measures the amount of CO2 generated by events, allowing both their properties and clients to identify opportunities to further reduce their carbon footprint.
Achievement in Sustainability Innovation - Eco.mio
What the judges said: The judges praised the innovative solution developed by eco.mio for provoking behavioural change in travellers by rewarding them for making more sustainable travel choices through gamification. Their solution seamlessly integrates with existing online booking tools and frequent travellers appreciate that their efforts in making sustainable choices are being recognised.
Achievement in Sustainability - Managed Travel Programme: Salesforce
(Highly Commended: EY)
What the judges said: The judges were impressed by Salesforce's linking of executive compensation to sustainability goals, specifically reduction in air travel. This model is excellent to get buy-in and commitment from the top down, they said. Focus on providing an improved rail offering and encouraging rail over air travel is also key. Innovative approaches to engagement, training, recognition and rewards regarding sustainable travel is available through the organisation’s self-learning platform. The travel programme has a big impact and can be replicated by others, said the judges.
Sustainability Champion - Julien Etchanchu, Advito
What the judges said: Julien Etchanchu was described as technically proficient and as someone who is able to tell a compelling story which inspires action. This person was instrumental in the development of a consulting practice and is highly visible in the broader business travel community where they are recognised as a thought leader. They have led the development of several tools and methodologies that are of great use to travel managers, allowing them to track and monitor progress. Their passion for sustainability drives them to push the industry to follow the science and position business travel at the forefront of sustainability strategies within global organisations.
A full list of the 35 finalists, unveiled at the end of March, can be viewed here.
“My thanks go out to all of the organisations who submitted an entry. We were overwhelmed by the quality of submissions we received in this inaugural year,” said Jen Bankard, BTN Group senior director of content solutions and conferences.
“The work being done across the corporate travel eco-system to reduce the industry’s carbon footprint is nothing short of inspiring. Additionally, I need to thank the judges for the time and careful consideration they gave to each entry they reviewed.”
The judging panel was convened by the BTN Group and included: Horst Bayer, founder & CEO, TravelHorst Sustainable Business Travel Consulting; Amanda Calder, category manager, HSBC; Maarten Dansen, program manager operations - corporate sustainability, PwC; Sian Ellis, sustainable procurement assistant director, EY; Julia Fidler, environmental sustainability - fuel and materials decarbonization manager, Microsoft; Bernard Harrop, managing director, IG Management; John Harvey, managing partner, Globalyse; Helen Hodgkinson, co-founder, CACTUS; Angela Lille, advisor & co-founder, BT4Europe; Willem Melis, carbon advisor, Climate Neutral Group; travel manager Albena Taseva; Claire Whitely, head of environment, Sustainable Hospitality Alliance; Sarah Wilkin, founder & CEO, Fly Green Alliance; and Neil Woodliffe, global travel & expense program manager, Clarivate.