The 2022 edition of the GBTA Europe was a ground-breaking event in more ways than one. For the first time, the international business travel association was devoting an entire day to a new product. "Sustainability Summitin advance of its 'classic' event. It was also the first time that GBTA Europe had left the German market, the preserve of its long-standing partner VDR. And for this first relocation, GBTA Europe's annual conference set its sights on Brussels. A destination of choice from a logistical point of view, as it facilitates the transport of participants by train, and therefore makes sense for a...
The 2022 edition of the GBTA Europe was a ground-breaking event in more ways than one. For the first time, the international business travel association was devoting an entire day to a new product. "Sustainability Summitin advance of its 'classic' event. It was also the first time that GBTA Europe had left the German market, the preserve of its long-standing partner VDR. And for this first relocation, GBTA Europe's annual conference set its sights on Brussels. A destination of choice from a logistical point of view, as it facilitates the transport of participants by train, and is therefore consistent with a sustainable summit. It was also a strategic destination for getting closer to the European authorities and making the GBTA's voice heard. " Brussels is an opportunity. We've been talking to Europe since 2015, and we're familiar with the workings of the European systems. And with sustainability at the heart of many decisions at European level, it made sense for the summit to be held in Brussels. "explains Stéphane Vallageas, a member of the GBTA Europe Board. And while he refutes the lobbying purpose of the event, he is delighted to have been able to attract these institutional players: " While we were in Brussels, we were lucky enough to welcome a lot of people from the European Commission to the stage. These are very busy people, who we wouldn't necessarily have been able to bring together outside Brussels. It was also an opportunity to acknowledge the GBTA recognition as a key partner for European bodies in the field of business travel ".
Alongside representatives of the European authorities, GBTA Europe has succeeded in mobilising speakers of the highest calibre in the field of business travel. This has facilitated dialogue between private and public players, giving them the opportunity to reflect on the role of each in the necessary sustainable transition, against the backdrop of the debate between incentives and regulations...". Companies are ready to act and to do more, but without regulation, I think they would move much more slowly. "says Brune Poirson, Accor's Director of Sustainable Development. " That said, good regulations cannot be put in place without collaboration with the private sector, which is where what I call "positive lobbying" comes in. ".
Omnipresent during the debates, the SAF was a concrete illustration of this still uncertain balance between the carrot and the stick. And to remind the mainly European audience that the old continent still suffers from the comparison with the United States in particular, as the CEO of American Express GBT, Paul Abbott, points out: " Regulations are important, rules and targets have been set in the European Union. But what is the point of setting targets at 65% of SAF if there is no production, no supply? We need regulations, but above all we need incentives. And the United States has understood this. L'Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) has attracted $370,000,000 in investment in clean technologies. This is a significant step forward, which will have a profound impact on accelerating decarbonisation in the US. And thanks to these incentives, I think the US is ahead of the EU in really tackling carbon emissions over the next decade. We should be seeing similar actions in the EU rather than restrictions. It's good to have a vision. But a vision without a plan is just a dream... "warns Paul Abbott.
The method
This first environmental summit will also have highlighted another crucial issue, that of the data. While some of the figures are known, business travellers and travel managers still need to be given the keys to making an informed choice. " Our research in the United States shows thata passenger can reduce his carbon footprint per journey by 22% to 63% by choosing the most efficient flight "says Dan Rutherford, Program Director at the International Council on Clean Transportation. But there is still a great deal of confusion when it comes to quantifying the impact of the different segments of business travel. Hence the importance of adopting reliable methodologies, as explained by Shelley Fletcher-Bryant, Senior Director, Sales & Client Relationship Management at Advito: " It is very encouraging that methodologies are being recognised, such as that of IATA or theAdvito. A lot of work has been done over the last three years. But at the moment there are a lot of different methodologies" . Shelley Fletcher-Bryant continues: " I think that once we have a centralised methodology that is recognised by everyone, and I hope that this will be the case in the first or second quarter of 2023, the big challenge will be to know how it will be implemented. And that's going to be a key issue for the industry, whether it's TMCs, OBTs, travel managers... Because let's face it: someone is going to have to pay for it to be integrated..." .
Despite the scale of the task and the investment involved, and the difficulties that lie ahead, Shelley Fletcher-Bryant is pragmatic: " Don't let perfection stand in the way of your progress" . Clearly, the time has come to take action and make decisions, even if it means identifying areas for improvement. Players like GBTA are working on this, as is the partnership with the Sustainable Hospitality Alliance - which aims to improve the measurement of carbon footprints in the hotel sector - or, more generally, the Sustainability Program launched last year. And a date has already been set to take things a step further. Visit next Sustainability Summit is expected in another major decision-making hub: Washington. As for the next GBTA Europe conference, it will be returning to Germany in just over a year's time, from 14 to 16 November 2023 at Hamburg.
