Talking sustainability with CTM’s Head of ESG & Sustainability

Sustainability is becoming a larger focus across the business travel industry.

As organizations continue building more mature ESG strategies, there is growing pressure to better understand the environmental and social impact of business operations, including corporate travel programs.

At the same time, travel managers are being asked to balance multiple priorities. They must support business growth and traveler experience while also helping organizations progress toward broader sustainability goals.

According to Corporate Travel Management’s 2022 Global Customer Survey, 72% of customers wanted to learn more about sustainable travel, particularly around supply chain sustainability strategies.

To better understand how sustainability is reshaping business travel, CTM spoke with its Head of ESG & Sustainability about the growing role of travel programs, supplier partnerships, and data visibility in supporting more sustainable travel outcomes.

Sustainability is becoming a business priority

There is significantly more awareness across the business community about climate change, corporate responsibility, and ESG performance than there was several years ago.

As a result, organizations are increasingly reviewing how their operations, suppliers, and employee programs align with broader sustainability objectives.

Business travel is part of that conversation.

While travel remains an important driver of growth, collaboration, and customer relationships, organizations are also looking more closely at how travel programs contribute to environmental impact.

This is creating new expectations for travel managers, procurement teams, and travel management companies.

The role of travel managers is evolving

According to CTM’s Head of ESG & Sustainability, travel managers now have an opportunity to play a more strategic role within their organizations.

Rather than focusing only on bookings and policy compliance, travel programs are increasingly being viewed through a broader operational and sustainability lens.

Moving beyond traditional travel management

As organizations refine travel policies post-pandemic, many are also reassessing:

• Supplier selection
• Carbon reporting
• Traveler behavior
• Policy flexibility
• Sustainable travel options

This shift is positioning travel managers as important contributors to both business performance and sustainability initiatives.

In turn, sustainability is becoming more integrated into overall travel program strategy rather than treated as a separate initiative.

Why sustainable business travel matters

Sustainable business travel is becoming increasingly important for several reasons.

First, organizations are responding to growing stakeholder expectations around environmental and social responsibility.

Second, many businesses are now operating under formal ESG frameworks or net-zero commitments that require greater visibility into emissions and supplier performance.

At the same time, business travel continues to play a critical role in supporting growth, innovation, and relationship-building.

Because of this, organizations are not necessarily looking to stop travel altogether. Instead, they are looking for smarter and more sustainable ways to manage it.

Supporting more informed travel decisions

This is where technology, reporting, and supplier visibility are becoming increasingly important.

Organizations are seeking tools that help travelers and travel managers better understand:

• Carbon impact
• Supplier sustainability performance
• Lower-emission travel options
• Travel behavior trends

According to CTM’s customer survey, 57% of respondents said environmental sustainability features influence their choice of airline, hotel, or car rental provider.

As a result, sustainability is becoming a more visible factor in booking decisions across the travel supply chain.

Building stronger supply chain partnerships

Supply chain readiness is also becoming a larger focus across the travel industry.

To improve sustainability outcomes, collaboration between travel buyers, suppliers, and travel management companies is becoming increasingly important.

The importance of supplier transparency

Organizations want greater visibility into how suppliers are approaching sustainability.

This includes areas such as:

• Carbon reduction initiatives
• Sustainable aviation fuel investment
• Hotel sustainability programs
• Reporting transparency
• Environmental certifications

At the same time, suppliers are under increasing pressure to demonstrate measurable progress and communicate sustainability initiatives more clearly.

This is helping drive stronger collaboration across the travel ecosystem.

Technology and data will continue shaping sustainable travel

Technology is expected to play a major role in helping organizations better understand and manage the environmental impact of travel programs.

Data visibility is becoming increasingly important as organizations seek more accurate reporting and clearer insights into traveler behavior and supplier performance.

Turning visibility into action

Access to centralized reporting can help organizations:

• Track emissions trends
• Identify opportunities to reduce impact
• Refine travel policies
• Support sustainability reporting requirements
• Encourage more informed traveler choices

At the same time, organizations are looking for solutions that make sustainability easier to integrate into everyday travel decision-making rather than adding additional complexity for travelers.

Sustainability is becoming part of modern travel program strategy

Sustainability is no longer viewed as a standalone initiative within business travel.

Increasingly, it is becoming part of broader conversations around traveler experience, supplier strategy, governance, and operational performance.

As organizations continue evolving their travel programs, the ability to combine visibility, flexibility, technology, and supplier collaboration will become increasingly important.

For travel managers, this presents an opportunity to help shape travel programs that not only support business growth, but also contribute to broader sustainability objectives.