BCD Travel Issues Seven Steps To Corporate Sustainability

BCD Travel shares ‘7 steps to making companies more sustainable and competitive,’ and releases 2018 Sustainability report

UTRECHT, The Netherlands, June 28, 2018 – Global travel management company, BCD Travel has issued a set of guidelines for companies looking to develop and implement a corporate sustainability program. Released in conjunction with BCD’s 2018 Sustainability Report, the guidelines are intended to encourage other companies to join the travel management company in creating better businesses, workplaces, communities and a healthier planet.

“Having now spent many years building a successful global sustainability program, we’re eager for others to join us,” said Sharon Dirks, director of sustainability for BCD Travel. “Although our efforts have already shown tremendous progress, including multiple gold ratings from the sustainability auditing company EcoVadis, we don’t consider our work ever completely finished. We will look for even more ways to improve again next year.”

The 2018 Sustainability Report confirms BCD’s commitment to all aspects of sustainability and covers the TMC’s goals and achievements in the areas of governance, ethics & compliance, workplace practices, environment, sustainable procurement and service performance. It highlights the company’s ongoing commitment to give back to communities by supporting global and local charity initiatives. The report also fulfills BCD’s annual commitment to the United Nations Global Compact and aligns with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI).

Based on its own experiences, BCD recommends seven steps to developing and implementing a successful sustainability program:

1. Get executive buy-in. Ensure company leaders incorporate social responsibility into global business strategy.
2. Create a cross-functional sustainability leadership team. To maintain ongoing support, assemble an executive sustainability committee made up of leaders from across the organization.
3. Engage and educate employees. Employee participation in sustainability doesn’t happen automatically. Use educational programs to win support.
4. Be global and local. It’s essential to have employees in each country committed to the success of the global program
5. Tap into industry best practices. For companies just getting started, begin with the priorities that third-party firms like EcoVadis focus on in their assessments.
6. Be realistic. It takes time and effort to implement a global sustainability program. Plan a phased approach from the start.
7. Don’t reinvent the wheel. Emulate companies that demonstrate sustainability success. The United Nations Global Compact website offers information on thousands of businesses, including BCD Travel, who are committed to the world’s largest sustainability initiative.

To learn more about the seven steps, visit BCD Travel’s news site, www.bcdtravel.com/move-global, and read 7 steps to making companies more sustainable and competitive.