On 4 November, the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) Sustainability Summit took place in Copenhagen, spotlighting significant discussions about sustainability in the travel and hospitality sector. Representing IU International University of Applied Sciences, Professor Willy Legrand led an insightful session on "Sustainable Procurement in Hospitality: Evaluating Hotel Sustainability for Business Travel."
Accompanied by industry experts such as Eric Eduardo Ricaurte, CEO of Greenview, Sara Digiesi, CEO of BWH Hotels Italy & Malta, and Victor Lim, Global Travel Leader at IKEA (Ingka Group), Professor Legrand guided a discussion on how hotels are enhancing their sustainability practices. This involves extending efforts beyond eco-friendly accommodations to encompass meetings, events, and dining.
The summit also featured findings from the GBTA Foundation’s Sustainability Acceleration Challenge, which examined corporate travel programmes' decarbonisation efforts and presented a global sustainability maturity score of just 1.3 out of 5 for 2024. This underscores the need for companies to elevate their sustainability initiatives. One such opportunity is internal carbon pricing, a strategy that could significantly bolster climate action through more structured environmental accountability.
During the session, Professor Legrand and panellists explored how GBTA’s Sustainable Procurement Standards for Hotels can facilitate improved procurement decisions by offering streamlined sustainability data. For buyers, these standards serve as tools for making informed choices, while suppliers are encouraged to adopt these benchmarks to advance their sustainability offerings. Discussions also centred on support systems available to aid the procurement process and ensure consistency and alignment.
Business travel is poised to be a vital catalyst for advancing sustainability, and IU remains steadfast in its commitment to being an active participant in this effort. We are thankful to the panellists for sharing their invaluable insights and highlighting the collaborative path forward towards a more sustainable industry.
GBTA’s Sustainable Procurement Standards forHotels to download here: https://gbtafoundation.org/sustainable-procurement-standards-for-accommodations/
GBTA Sustainability Acceleration Challenge information here: https://gbtafoundation.org/planet/sustainability/gbta-sustainability-acceleration-challenge/#join-the-challenge
