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GBTA Sustainability Summit Harnesses Collective Efforts Toward Net Zero Business Travel
An acknowledgment of urgency, value of collaboration, and the need for concrete action were the pervasive drivers of GBTA’s first Global Sustainability Summit yesterday which focused on decarbonizing business travel in alignment with the Paris Climate Goals – and the 27th United Nations Climate Summit (COP27) happening this week in Egypt.
The event attracted nearly 300 global delegates including sustainability, travel industry, and policy leaders and experts to outline concrete solutions and map a climate action plan for sustainable global business travel.
“For GBTA, building a greener future means championing industry efforts, developing and scaling solutions and tools, and ultimately eliminating the carbon footprint of business travel so people and businesses can continue to connect,” said Delphine Millot, Senior Vice President, Sustainability, GBTA and Managing Director, GBTA Foundation.
In the opening conversation, Walter Goetz, Head of Cabinet for Transport Commissioner, European Commission, outlined the role of business travel as a force for good and the importance of scaling the solutions to decarbonize transport instead of depressing demand. Expectations from COP27 and what role business can play in leading the transformation was the premise of the opening executive panel. Breakout sessions included discussions on how to navigate standards in green hospitality, bridging the gap in electromobility, encouraging a shift to rail, driving data accuracy and best practices in cutting emissions, and harnessing the role of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF).
The event culminated in a two-part think tank session where attendees turned ambition into action to design a climate action plan for the sector. Closing keynote speaker, Dr. Gabrielle Walker, Founder and Director of Valence Solutions and non-profit organization, Rethinking Removals, addressed “The Climate for Change” and what a low carbon future looks like for business travel.
Mark Cuschieri, Sustainability Leadership Council Chair, and Board of Directors Vice President, outlined what GBTA will be prioritizing in 2023 including advocating with policymakers, harmonizing attributes to benchmark sustainability efforts, extending partnerships with like-minded organizations, and establishing a concrete climate action plan and pathway for the industry.
“The only way we’ll get to a greener future and achieve the Race to Net Zero is by getting there together as an industry. This Summit was an impactful next step, but there’s a lot of work ahead – and GBTA will be sharing more as the journey continues,” he said.
Read more here in today’s post-Sustainability Summit announcement.
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