How can a company specialising in means of payment, which are inherently less polluting than air transport or car hire, help to reduce the carbon impact of businesses? American Express is committing itself at its own level, starting with its most obvious product, the payment card. As a result, the French market - and within it, businesses and individuals alike - will be the first in the world to gradually roll out a recycled plastic card.
Manufactured in France using 85% of plastic from industrial waste, these cards - excluding the chip and antenna - generate 36% less CO2 than virgin plastic cards. The Green Corporate, Platinum Corporate, Green Consumer and Gold Consumer card ranges are already available in recycled plastic and will be available to new customers, while existing cardholders will benefit when their card expires or is renewed in the event of loss or theft. In total, 16 of the 18 plastic card ranges offered to businesses and individuals in France will migrate to recycled plastic by the end of 2022.
Although France is leading the way, this change is part of a worldwide programme, with the aim of ensuring that the vast majority of plastic cards issued are made from at least 70% of recycled or recovered plastic by the end of 2024. This will avoid " the use of 80 tonnes of plastic virgin per year worldwide" says American Express.
In addition to the eco-responsible shift in payment methods for travellers, American Express is going to enhance the reporting of expenditure to provide a better assessment of the carbon footprint of companies. While the figures provided so far only concern air transport, other areas of business travel - rail, car hire, hotels and catering - will be included over the course of the year, through a more global dashboard. In addition, a comparison by category and by sector of activity will enable companies to better identify opportunities to reduce the environmental impact of their business travel.
At the same time, American Express explains that it supports large companies in France ". in auditing their business travel policy "It also recommends solutions for optimising the reduction of their carbon footprint. Since last April, companies of all sizes, as well as individuals, have been able to support the Courances forest restoration projectin Essonne, supported by Reforest'Action. All you have to do is donate Membership Rewards points, 500 points being equivalent to one tree preserved.
But the good advice given to others is also being applied by American Express to itself, as this key player in corporate payments has pledged in 2021 to achieve zero net internal carbon emissions by 2035 at a global level. " That's fifteen years earlier than the deadline set by the Paris Climate Agreement." underlines the company.
