Travel management company Reed & Mackay has introduced new functionality that allows customers to set travel policies and approvals processes based on the carbon emissions associated with business trips.
Details of the new sustainability functionality were unveiled at the GBTA Convention in Atlanta today, where Reed & Mackay said it now enables its customers to implement custom carbon-based travel policies and a corresponding approvals flow in its proprietary booking technology.
Customers can now, for example, require travellers take the flight with the lowest carbon emissions on a particular route – or an alternative flight within, say, 10 per cent of the lowest emitter – while other flights would be subject to additional layers of approval. Flights that can be booked within policy would be highlighted in green and others in orange or red.
The functionality is available to customers on request at no additional charge and is replicated both online and offline for customers calling agents. The UK-based TMC – which is part of the Navan Group – said the updates are among a series of user-enhancements to its proprietary tech stack that are being rolled out to customers and cover air, rail, ground transport and hotel searches.
Speaking at the convention, Reed & Mackay’s global sustainability director, Chris Truss, said: "The last couple of years have been spent on the delivery and deployment of granular carbon emissions data to our travellers. We've been providing visibility and insight and giving context to people. But up to this point we haven't been able to help customers do much about it [by way of policy enforcement]. But as of today, all our clients will have the ability to take advantage of setting travel policy and approval mechanisms around carbon alongside or instead of price."
Truss said the functionality is "essentially a traffic light system which is configured by the customer" and was prompted by "enormous customer demand". Two-thirds of its top 100 customers – who predominantly work in the professional services sector – are SBTi aligned and have net zero targets. "Many of them have huge footprints from scope 3.6 business travel emissions and we are giving them the capability and the leverage to reduce demand," said Truss.
He conceded that the functionality "isn't necessarily something for everyone", noting that "there are implications of taking the lowest carbon option that might not suit very cost-driven businesses, but we have large numbers of customers who want or need this."