Some 40 per cent of European companies have sustainable business travel guidelines in place, according to a new report, which showed CO2 budgets and domestic flight bans were among the most widely implemented policies.

Conducted by AirPlus, a survey of more than 500 business travellers across nine European countries found that 54 per cent of UK-based companies had sustainability policies in place, dropping to 48 per cent of French companies, 42 per cent in Italy, and only 20 per cent in Germany.

Forty per cent of respondents said their company had banned domestic flights, which tallies with AirPlus data showing that while 20 per cent of business flights in 2019 were domestic, that figure has now dropped to 13 per cent.

Meanwhile, half of UK and Italian business travellers said their company has implemented carbon budgets. Only 32 per cent and 24 per cent of French and German respondents said their organisations had taken similar action.

Partially explaining the lower prevalence of sustainability policies in Germany, the survey also revealed that 70 per cent of German business travellers ‘very rarely or never’ fly for work, compared to 46 per cent of both UK and French respondents, and 41 per cent of respondents in Italy.

Overall, 45 per cent of respondents welcome sustainability policies, 57 per cent believe they are effective in driving more environmentally friendly decisions, and 63 per cent are keen to reduce the environmental impact of their business trips. However, only 29 per cent of respondents said their company provides education on reducing the environmental impact of business travel.

“These findings emphasise the importance of companies adopting a more comprehensive approach to sustainability in business travel,” said AirPlus in a statement accompanying its research. “Clear sustainability guidelines and enhanced employer support can significantly contribute to reducing the environmental impact of corporate travel.”