American Express Global Business Travel (Amex GBT) has published its annual environmental, social and governance (ESG) report for 2021, documenting the company’s achievements and commitments in sustainability, diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I), and governance standards.
Key highlights from 2021 include launching a partnership with Shell Aviation to scale up sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production and deployment; signing the World Economic Forum Clean Skies for Tomorrow initiative to accelerate the supply and use of SAF; unveiling new carbon reporting and mitigation products and services; collaborating with the Global Sustainable Tourism Council to help set the industry standard for green hotels; and launching an employee resource group dedicated to sustainability.
AMEX GBT also increased its goal of utilising diverse suppliers across the strategic sourcing portfolio; committed to the protection of children children from sexual exploitation in travel and tourism; deepened its relationship with UNICEF USA to help displaced children continue their education; and raised tens of thousands of dollars through events such as a World Children’s Day annual fundraiser, India Covid-19 emergency response, Haiti earthquake and Afghanistan evacuation responses, and donations from suppliers and vendors.
Evan Konwiser, executive vice president, AMEX GBT, said: “Our ESG report shows how we are working to meet ambitious targets, that we recognise our responsibility as an industry leader to work with customers and partners to help build a responsible, sustainable future that includes all the benefits of travel.
“These endeavours are vital as we believe travel is a force for good, powering progress across economic, social and environmental planes. As it helps bring down barriers and builds understanding, it propels trade and commerce while connecting communities globally.”
Meanwhile, the latest release of Neo, Amex GBT’s proprietary online booking tool also includes new functionalities to contribute to the company’s ESG goals for diversity and sustainability. With more countries offering a third gender option on passports, travellers are now able to present their preferred gender and match this information in booking tools and airline records.
Companies using the Neo online booking tool can choose to either remove the name prefix from traveller profiles, or include the new neutral choice, Mx. The booking tool also features a non-binary option alongside male and female in the gender selection field.
A new CO2 sort has also been added to the booking tool to help users quickly surface the travel option with the lowest carbon footprint.
