Business Travel News CT 100 2008 Resource Guide

A.T. Kearney Advances Broad Green Travel Strategy W been fully standardized and it can be very confusing when you look at the variety of offset prices in the marketplace.” As an example, Hansen noted inconhen global consulting firm A.T. sistencies in carbon offsets pulled from a scientific Kearney last year pledged carbon site, an airline Web site and a public travel site, rangneutrality by the end of 2009, traving from $35.46 to €81—all for the same flight el quickly became the focal point. between London and New York. At the behest of senior management, the firm’s travel depart“There are different ways you can measure and ment—working with a broad coalition of divisional calculate,” Hansen said. “We went for the full boat: leaders, consultants and scientists—moved to If there’s a choice between one, two or three—we’re measure and then offset carbon emissions derived three. We’ll pick the top, the high end. If the metrics from corporate travel, building a sustainability probehind that get better, maybe we’ll improve, but gram from scratch and setting standards for carbon we’re not going to do anything short of calculating reporting. 100 percent of our carbon footprint.” A.T. Kearney now measures the entirety of emisA.T. Kearney now incorporates emissions data in sions stemming from travel, using United Nationsrequests for sourcing the greenest suppliers, seekapproved and scientifically vetted tracking methods ing aircraft and engine data from airlines and looking and drilling down to country, unit and employee levfor environmentally audited and certified hotels. els. The company also has The travel department reports key performance begun billing back the cost indicators for carbon emissions of carbon to its units and quarterly. “Global finance takes that information and bumps it reinvesting those funds into up against our net fees, and it’s sustainability projects, in billed back out to each one of addition to carbon tradethe units and we begin to set offs. A.T. Kearney also moved the targets. There’s a goal to to limit travel when appropriate, shift to more environmenreduce emissions by 20 pertally friendly modes of transcent. While we will become port and work with carboncarbon neutral by the end of MARGARET HANSEN efficient suppliers. next year, each of the units is A.T. KEARNEY A.T. Kearney determined also expected to reduce by a travel contributed more than percentage. This information 80 percent of its companyis reported quarterly and generated emissions. “We don’t do manufacturing, we’re running into our third quarter of reporting, so we don’t have a lot of facilities. People are our core we’re pretty far along into the process now.” product—we sell intellectual capital,” said director of The company went a step further by investing in global travel Margaret Hansen. “Travel got a lot of its own sustainability projects, seeing each carbonfocus within the firm.” offsetting dollar is invested “in climate-protecting Hansen said the company already operated a projects that meet the highest international quality consolidated travel program, with global travel data standards and sending consultants out to do the centralized through a single agency, expense actual work,” Hansen said, noting those projects reporting system and corporate card provider. That meet the United Nations-endorsed Gold Standard. eased the transition to emissions reporting, she To further facilitate emissions reductions, Hansen said, though standards for collection remained eluparticipates in a monthly call with A.T. Kearney leaders across the globe to discuss local initiatives. sive. “We worked on this for a year and a half, lookSome units have greened meeting site selection, set ing for data sources,” she said. “I was not able to rail-over-air policies, instituted a bicycle-purchase find anything that mapped out for me how I was program for local employees and implemented going to come up with a calculation on a global level remote conferencing systems. with a consistent standard.” “It’s interesting to see,” Hansen said of local susThe company enlisted United Nations-endorsed tainability projects, “how every office is going to be scientists to help measure travel emissions. Hansen diverse and do what works for them.” ■ noted that carbon-emission calculations “have not By Jay Boehmer 18 September 8, 2008 www.BTNonline.com Business Travel News “ “ Metrics may improve, but we’re not doing anything short of calculating 100 percent of our carbon footprint.” http://www.BTNonline.com

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