GBTA Welcomes European Parliament’s Push to Establish a Harmonised Measurement Framework for Transport Emissions

GBTA welcomes the adoption by the European Parliament of their report on the proposed CountEmissionsEU regulation that will establish a consistent and accurate measurement framework for transport emissions. This initiative is critical for business travellers to make more sustainable choices by helping them compare the carbon footprint of their trips across providers, and modes of transport.

The necessity for a standardised, international approach to calculate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from travel, is underscored by findings from GBTA’s report, “The State of Climate Action in Business Travel – Global Industry Barometer 2023.” This study shows that, in 2023, 64% of corporate travel managers were tracking emissions from their business travel programmes (compared to 55% in 2022), and another 15% were planning to do so. Corporate travel managers are, however, finding it difficult to track and report emissions data from employees’ travels, due to the different methodologies available. Many are using more than one method to obtain and calculate emissions data, which only adds to the complexity and likely makes it difficult to get a holistic view of business travel emissions. The proposed regulation will address this problem by providing one harmonised methodology that will address this industry-wide challenge.

GBTA applauds the fact that the Parliament is asking for the ISO standard for the calculation of emissions chosen by the Commission to be made available free of charge or at a reduced rate, making it easier for operators to adopt it.

In addition, GBTA supports the Parliament’s intention to request data intermediaries that offer multimodal trips to provide to consumers information about the greenhouse gas emissions of a journey based on primary data that operators must in turn share with them. The availability of this information on emissions would make it easier for business travellers to choose the most environmentally friendly option in their trips and in particular multimodal options. However, for multimodal offerings to increase, it is necessary for the Commission to swiftly present a regulation on Multimodal Digital Mobility Services (MDMS).

“GBTA looks forward to collaborating with EU policymakers to further enhance the initiative’s efficacy in guiding our industry towards greener practices and expects it to serve as a first step towards a global methodology for transport emissions accounting,” said Suzanne Neufang, CEO, GBTA.

GBTA also recently launched its report on the business travel sector’s top priorities for the EU’s next legislative cycle 2024-2029: “Shaping the Future of Europe Via Business Travel.” As Europe heads into the next legislative term, GBTA emphasizes that these priorities will ensure the sector remains a driving force for region’s competitiveness and green transition.