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Sustainable business travel with SAP Concur

29. November 2023

13 Minutes

How to reduce CO2 and cut costs through integrated tools & apps

Business travel and CO₂ reduction needn’t to be mutually exclusive. SAP® Concur® paves the way for sustainable business travel. In this article, you’ll learn how SAP Concur can help you drive sustainable business travel and financial optimization in your organization with tools that integrate with SAP Concur. We’ll share valuable ideas and strategies for sustainable business travel and tell you which tools can help you get there.

Growing environmental awareness is increasingly putting sustainability in the focus of business travel.

Today, many companies are rethinking their employees’ travel habits. Fuel-efficient flights, electric ground transportation and virtual meetings are more popular than ever. This rethinking can also be proven statistically*:

97% of business travelers would increase travel time if it significantly reduced their environmental impact.
80% of business travelers are more inclined to work for a company with a sustainability strategy.
69% of travel managers have updated their travel policies to include a greater focus on sustainability.

* 2022 Global Business Traveler Report

Read more about the tools of sustainable travel initiatives in the blog:

SAP Concur drives more responsible travel practices

SAP Concur is not only considered one of the best solutions for business travel management and expense control. The platform also provides business users with many opportunities to advance their sustainability goals. Since sustainability has become crucial to responsible business practices, SAP Concur plays an increasingly important strategic and economic role.

Through its “Steps to Build a Sustainable Travel Program” initiative, SAP Concur is underscoring its commitment to helping companies develop and implement sustainable travel programs. This has far-reaching implications for companies and helps them achieve both their environmental and business goals.

Today’s decision-makers are aware that sustainability in business travel management is more than an ethical commitment. It is also a strategic decision that can impact a company’s competitiveness and long-term success.

With KPS as an integration partner and SAP Concur’s tools and resources, companies can achieve their sustainable business travel goals while making a positive difference in the world.

How companies benefit from sustainable business travel

Supported by SAP Concur and corresponding sustainability tools, companies can reduce CO₂ in air travel, transportation, and accommodations. This benefits the environment as well as the company’s image.

But, a sustainable travel strategy can also help optimize costs associated with business travel. This is done by better managing expenses, avoiding unnecessary travel, and using more environmentally friendly means of transportation. Companies can thus improve their financial performance.

Smarter tools for eco-friendly mobility

Companies implementing appropriate travel policies for sustainable travel through SAP Concur make it easier for all employees to make environmentally conscious decisions. SAP Concur also enables the integration of tools to calculate emissions and book green options. However, such actions supported by SAP Concur also impact the company internally. Sustainable travel programs can increase employee satisfaction by enabling employees to make green choices while meeting work commitments.

Sustainable Business Travel with SAP Concur

Less CO₂ emissions, improved company image

Companies that embrace sustainable business travel can significantly strengthen their corporate reputation with employees, investors, and customers. This makes sense because more and more people appreciate and support sustainable business practices.

There is even an opportunity to positively influence the development of travel resources and destinations through sustainable travel. One example is companies that prefer to book seminars or essential events in sustainable regions or at sustainable locations to strengthen sustainability-oriented tourism.

SAP Concur makes sustainable business travel simple

SAP Concur makes it easy for you to create and implement sustainable travel policies. You’ll encourage green travel behavior, ensuring employees make environmentally conscious choices when booking business travel.

Data transparency for CO₂ savings, cost-effectiveness and compliance

The CO₂ savings achieved in this way can be shown in very concrete terms. You can do this with tools that integrate with SAP Concur. For example, you can create detailed emissions reports on business travel. This data enables you to monitor and transparently communicate your progress in reducing emissions.

Finally, SAP Concur’s sustainability initiatives help companies manage travel expenditures more efficiently while meeting compliance guidelines. This leads to cost savings and improved financial performance.

Thrustcarbon: shrink your company’s CO2 footprint

Thrustcarbon’s integration with SAP Concur is recommended for organizations that want to manage business travel while minimizing their environmental impact. The platform specializes in calculating, monitoring, and reducing CO₂ emissions from business travel.

Thrustcarbon integrates seamlessly with SAP Concur, enabling the organization to develop and implement green and sustainable travel strategies. Based on booking data from SAP Concur, Thrustcarbon calculates the precise CO₂ emissions generated by business travel. This is the only way to reliably assess the environmental impact of business travel.

Using continuously recorded emissions data in the company, progress in shrinking the CO₂ footprint can be documented. Thrustcarbon also actively supports companies by providing recommendations and options for reducing CO₂ emissions from business travel. This includes, for example, promoting environmentally friendly means of transport, the selection of sustainable accommodations, and the compensation of emissions through donations to climate-protection projects.

How Thrustcarbon benefits your business:

More sustainability: Your company underlines its environmental responsibility and improves the sustainability of business travel. This can lead to a better corporate reputation and appeal to customers and investors who are looking for sustainable business partners.
Optimized costs: Identify potential savings with Thrustcarbon, such as lower travel costs, tax benefits for carbon offset projects, and better budgeting.
Compliance and reporting: Demonstrate compliance with sustainability policies and standards and report on your emissions reductions to inform stakeholders and regulators.
Employee engagement: Employees are more enthusiastic about companies that are committed to sustainability. Achieve greater employee retention and satisfaction.
Competitive advantage: As an early adopter of sustainable business travel, you can gain a competitive advantage and favorably differentiate yourself from competitors.

Click here for the calculator by Thrustcarbon

Rocketrip: teaching employees more sustainability via app

The “Rocketrip” app is an innovative solution that helps companies reduce travel costs without compromising employee satisfaction. With Rocketrip, you create an incentive system that rewards employees for making more cost-effective travel decisions.

Employees who plan a business trip enter their travel details in the app: flight, hotel, and rental car. The app then provides alternative options, which are less expensive but still convenient and appropriate. If the employee chooses one of these cheaper options, they can keep a portion of the money saved as a reward. These rewards can be offered through gift cards, cash, or other incentives.

How Rocketrip works for your sustainability goals

Cost savings: Your company can save money by encouraging employees to choose more affordable travel options.
Transparency: The app provides insights into travel expenses, thus helping companies to better manage their budgets.
Employee engagement: Employees feel motivated to save money for the company and earn rewards in the process.
Sustainability: Choosing cost-effective and eco-friendly travel options can reduce environmental impact.
Data analytics: Companies gain valuable insights into travel behavior and spending that can be used to optimize travel programs.

With Rocketrip, you can make corporate travel more efficient and cost-saving – a win-win solution that promotes financial responsibility and employee engagement.

Learn more about Rocketrip here

EcoPassenger: visualizing the impact of business travel

The EcoPassenger app is a powerful tool that helps travelers better understand the environmental impact of their travel decisions and consequently choose more environmentally conscious options.

In conjunction with EcoPassenger, SAP Concur has even more potential to raise awareness among your employees and drive a culture shift toward sustainable business travel. In doing so, EcoPassenger can positively impact many areas of your business.

EcoPassenger has a user-friendly calculation module that compares the energy consumption, CO2, and exhaust emissions of airplanes, cars, and passenger trains in Europe.

EcoPassenger can positively impact many areas of your business:

Better travel decisions: EcoPassenger provides detailed information about different modes of transportation, including air, train, car, and bus, and their environmental impact. Thus, travelers can choose more environmentally friendly options.
CO₂ reduction: Using EcoPassenger is likely to significantly reduce the environmental footprint of your company’s business travel and help you achieve sustainability goals.
Valuable cost savings: Eco-friendly transportation is often more cost-effective than flying or traveling by car. Your company can save money by motivating your employees to choose these options.
Positive corporate reputation: If your company promotes environmentally friendly travel practices, its sustainability record and corporate reputation with customers, investors, and employees will also improve.
Transparency and reporting: The easy-to-use platform for monitoring and reporting on the environmental impact of business travel enables your company to demonstrate progress on sustainability.
Increased employee engagement: Integrating EcoPassenger into employee travel planning promotes awareness of green travel choices and motivates employees to actively contribute to their company’s sustainability strategy.

More details about EcoPassenger

GreenHotel: at home in sustainability

“Green Hotels”, in conjunction with SAP Concur, is an innovative solution that helps companies make business travel more sustainable. It makes it easy for their employees to find and book eco-friendly accommodations. When used with the SAP Concur travel system, it becomes more accessible than ever to find and book sustainable hotels. Also integrated is a comprehensive database of eco-friendly hotels vetted for sustainable practices and certifications.

Your benefits with “green hotels” in conjunction with SAP Concur:

Green choices: Employees in your organization can select hotels that implement environmentally friendly measures such as energy efficiency, waste reduction, and the use of renewable energy.
Reduce costs: Green hotels are often more cost-efficient because they conserve resources and invest in sustainable practices. Businesses can benefit from these cost savings.
Achieve sustainability goals: Companies that have set sustainability goals can help achieve them by choosing green hotels. This helps them to implement a comprehensive sustainability strategy.
Satisfied employees: Staying overnight in environmentally friendly accommodations can increase employees’ satisfaction and motivate them to make environmentally conscious business travel decisions.
Transparency and reporting: Green Hotels provides a user-friendly platform for monitoring and reporting on green bookings. Companies can document and communicate their efforts toward more sustainable travel behavior.

Sustainability is more than an ethical obligation

Sustainability also provides a critical competitive advantage and an opportunity to enhance your corporate reputation. SAP Concur’s tools and solutions provide your organization with more opportunities to successfully implement sustainability in your business practices and achieve long-term benefits in terms of environmental impact and cost optimization. By leveraging these tools, companies can positively shape not only the future of their business but also that of the world.

As experienced SAP Concur implementation experts, KPS’s SAP Concur teams are happy to support companies in their sustainability efforts.

Let us support you in implementing your sustainability measures:

Questions?

Feel free to contact us!

E-Mail: [email protected]

KPS