Social impact in the travel and aviation industry - gender diversity, Indigenous affairs, environment and more

As customers, employees, suppliers and society at large begins to place increasing importance on corporate social responsibility, corporate leaders have started to implement practises which positively contribute to society.

This important topic will be discussed at the 2019 CAPA Melbourne Aviation & Corporate Travel Summit on the 24^th May. Be sure to register now to hear from our industry experts.

In the meantime, BCD Travel provide 7 steps to make your company more sustainable and competitive as part of its 2018 Sustainability Report.

1. Get executive buy-in. Ensure company leaders support sustainability and incorporate it into your company's global business strategy. "Sustainability is an important component of today's business landscape, and it's also an important competitive advantage. Explain that to your executives," says Sharon Dirks who oversaw BCD Travel's first annual EcoVadis sustainability audit in 2010.
2. Create a cross-functional sustainability leadership team. To maintain ongoing support, assemble an executive sustainability committee made up of leaders from across the organization. BCD's committee includes representatives from global client management, human resources, finance, business ethics, technology and supplier relations. The committee guides and supports the company's sustainability efforts and ensures Dirks gets the operational data she needs for third-party assessments and the company's required reports.
3. Engage and educate employees. Employee participation in sustainability doesn't happen automatically. Use educational programs to win support. BCD uses promotional and educational campaigns to engage employees in environmental activities, local charitable fundraisers, security awareness, employee appreciation events and more. Messages come not only from executives, but also from peers who encourage their colleagues to improve sustainability in BCD's workplace every day. The company uses its global online learning platform to train on topics like health and safety, information security, ethical business practices and human rights.
4. Be global and local. Expanding a sustainability program's reach from a single country or region to the whole globe isn't simple. Going global in a coordinated and consistent way proved to be BCD's biggest challenge. "Countries and regions have different laws related to the workplace, the environment and other aspects of sustainability, so rolling out companywide standards was a big effort," Dirks explained. It's essential to have employees in each country committed to the success of the global program.
5. Tap into industry best practices. If you're just getting started with sustainability, start with the priorities that third-party firms like EcoVadis focus on in their assessments.
6. Be realistic. Don't underestimate the effort and time involved in implementing a global sustainability program, Dirks advised. "And don't think you can cover the whole world at once," she said. Plan a phased approach from the start.
7. Don't reinvent the wheel. Companies that demonstrate sustainability success are good examples of how to get it right. Learn from them. Find a company that's already running a strong sustainability program, and work to replicate their successes. The United Nations Global Compact website offers information on thousands of companies committed to the world's largest sustainability initiative. The Global Compact calls for corporations to align business principles with sustainability efforts, including improving human rights, labour standards, environmental protection and anti-corruption practices.