Did you know that the average New York-to-Los Angeles flight emits 185 metric tons of carbon dioxide? That is the equivalent amount of CO2 emitted by 82 average automobile commuters traveling to and from work for an entire year! Business air travel can have a big impact on a company’s environmental footprint and bottom line.
Many businesses are now adopting “virtual meeting” strategies like videoconferencing or Skype to limit their impact, while still maintaining the face-to-face interaction that is critical for so many business relationships. Videoconferencing can drastically reduce a company’s greenhouse gas emissions and travel costs, which can include airline tickets, car rentals, hotel stays and meals! As an added benefit, employee productivity and morale improves when less time is spent waiting in long airline security lines.
If you must travel for work, consider these other green travel strategies:
· Where possible, skip the rental car and opt to travel by train, bus or subway once you reach your destination
· If you must rent a car, select a hybrid or model with good gas mileage
· Schedule meetings at a central location
· Select a hotel located near your primary destination
· Carpool with co-workers