Although no one is supposed to be unaware of the law, it has to be said that some laws go relatively unnoticed... This is particularly true of article 75 of the Grenelle II law, which makes it compulsory to record greenhouse gas emissions and the actions planned to reduce their impact. In fact, since 31 December 2012, "private legal entities employing more than five hundred people (...), the State, the regions, the départements (...) and municipalities with more than 50,000 inhabitants are required to draw up a balance sheet of their greenhouse gas emissions. This report shall be made public [and] updated at least every three years". Proof of this ignorance of the official texts, less than half of the companies concerned (45 %) had registered their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions balance by 18 February, according to the Bilan Carbone association (ABC), whose director Coline Jacono notes that "a 'short-termist' conception of constraints, favoured by a difficult economic context".
While it is clear that the current economic climate provides an explanation for this lack of commitment to what is commonly referred to as the "carbon footprint", it is no less true that the weak application of the law is part of an entirely different issue. Starting with the lack of penalties. "Today we have a floating legal framework which has tended to recede since the onset of the crisis in Europe. And that's a shame".This is not the case," laments Abdelaziz Bougja, chairman of the Marco Polo think tank dedicated to business travel and also head of the AFTM's sustainable development commission.
Business travel on the sidelines
The scope of the GHG assessment remains limited. As a result, the vast majority of emissions are ultimately left out: up to 75 % according to ABC, which since 2011 has been responsible for the "carbon footprint" methodology, tools and brand previously developed by Ademe (Agence de l'environnement et de la maîtrise de l'énergie). So far, only direct emissions such as heating, and those linked to 'network energy', in particular electricity, have been covered. Scope 3", the heterogeneous category that includes all the other indirect emissions, including business travel, has so far been left out of this assessment. However, according to a study by Ademe, up to 50 % of the CO2 emissions produced by businesses are linked to business travel, including home-to-work journeys.
Nevertheless, things are moving, but at different speeds, driven by different motivations. "Behaviour is changing. The travel policies of major companies have made great strides towards reducing their greenhouse gas emissions", says Claire Tutenuit, Executive Director of Entreprises pour l'Environnement (EpE), an association of some forty companies including Air France and SNCF. Financial imperatives are of course no stranger to this development. For example, business travel is often considered to be the second-largest item of expenditure after wages and salaries, and there are potential savings to be made. A Genesys study estimated a potential gain of 100,000 euros from a 10 % reduction in business travel for a company making 6,000 trips a year. "There is, of course, a strong potential for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, but also for reducing company expenditure; and in the current climate, this is a powerful argument, sums up Caline Jacono pragmatically. In any case, the strategic importance of reducing greenhouse gases can only be understood if it is linked to an economic interest".
Suppliers concerned
However, it would be simplistic to limit the approach to financial concerns alone. There are other reasons why a growing number of companies are counting and then reducing their emissions. The strategic advantage of the "frst mover" has prompted a number of major groups to anticipate a constraint that is set to become more widespread, and even tougher. This logic has another virtue: that of setting an example. "Companies have understood the social benefits that can be derived from this approach, which generates a different image, including internally with employees, says Caline Jacono. This helps to create an entrepreneurial spirit through positive construction".
The range of suppliers specialising in business travel is evolving in this direction. Some major players in the market have developed tools to help them assess and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. One example is Amadeus, which in 2008 signed a partnership agreement with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) to estimate the carbon footprint of the airline industry. More recently, AirPlus has also gone green. The specialist in payment and reporting solutions has launched AirPlus Green Reports, enabling it to provide its customers with personalised reports on their CO2 emissions across the various components of business travel: air, hotel, rail and car.
In terms of a green revolution, the introduction of the carbon footprint has above all contributed to a gradual change in behaviour. "It's an in-depth job, concludes Abdelaziz Bougja. We need to educate, introduce the notion of sustainable development as well as that of good citizenship and hygiene rules". It's a task that will take time and education.
