Kathy Jackson, Vice President and Executive Chair of Sustainability at BCD Travel.
BCD’s expanded sustainability strategy takes aim at company goals and evolving client needs.
UTRECHT, THE NETHERLANDS – As part of a long-standing commitment to sustainability, BCD Travel signed on to the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi), a U.N. initiative to increase corporate participation on climate action in line with the Paris Agreement. As the first global travel management company to have joined the SBTi, BCD supports science-based targets aimed at reducing greenhouse gases. An emissions-reduction target is 'science based' if it’s designed to keep global warming below 2 degrees Celsius (35.6° F) from pre-industrial levels.
“As we celebrate Earth Day today, we’re proud to be part of the SBTi,” said Kathy Jackson, Vice President and Executive Chair of Sustainability at BCD. “Aligning our environmental strategy with science-based targets provides compliance with current and future regulatory requirements and ensures our contribution to achieving global climate goals for both BCD and our clients.”
BCD’s ambitious sustainability strategy aspires to not only achieve its own CO2 emission reduction goals, but also contribute to those of its clients.
Clients and prospects are increasingly asking suppliers if they have science-based targets. For example, UCB, one of BCD’s global pharmaceutical clients, has a strong commitment to deliver positive societal impact. This includes reducing the environmental impact of their entire value chain and UCB has launched a carbon maturity level survey, based on their own SBTi targets, to rank its suppliers on their environmental ambitions and strategy. UCB ranked BCD with an A-level rating, the highest score.
“We are very pleased to collaborate with an A-level supplier and congratulate BCD for their great environmental engagement,” said Bals Sébastien, Head of Procurement at UCB. “Together we will limit the impact of our business activities on climate change.”
BCD’s consultancy, Advito, also works with clients to set and track science-based targets. Advito’s proprietary ISO-certified emissions scale, GATE4, assists customers in tracking emissions across air, hotel, rail and car travel to gain a holistic picture of their program’s environmental impact and identify where to make meaningful changes.
Another way BCD is helping clients achieve their sustainability goals is through SolutionSource, the company’s proprietary platform for connecting clients to leading third-party technology solutions. SolutionSource includes partners like Climate Neutral Group and ClimatePartner, which provide services to measure and reduce CO2 emissions to achieve climate neutrality, among other benefits. BCD is also working with these SolutionSource partners to offset a part of its own internal emissions.
BCD’s recently published 2021 Sustainability Report outlines the travel management company’s activities, achievements and progress on its entire sustainability goals including reducing carbon emissions significantly by 2030. As a member of the United Nations Global Compact since 2008, BCD publishes this report annually to illustrate the company’s support of the Global Compact’s 10 principles and Sustainable Development Goals.
Vicky is the co-founder of TravelDailyNews Media Network where she is the Editor-in Chief. She is also responsible for the daily operation and the financial policy. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Tourism Business Administration from the Technical University of Athens and a Master in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Wales.
She has many years of both academic and industrial experience within the travel industry. She has written/edited numerous articles in various tourism magazines.
