Press Release
For Immediate Release
8 January 2008
ACTE TO PARTNER WITH VCD ON GREEN BUSINESS TRAVEL PROJECT IN GERMANY
Associations to create environmentally friendly business travel guidelines
Alexandria, Va. --
The Association of Corporate Travel Executives (ACTE) will partner with Verkehrsclub Deutschland (VCD: a major transport and environmental organization in Germany) on a survey as part of its Green Business Travel project. The results of the survey, which will be announced in the latter half of 2008, will be used to create guidelines for environmentally friendly business travel processes and alternatives to business travel.
The survey will be given to select small and medium-sized companies to identify the lack of information and optimization potentials for implementing a green business travel initiative. In addition to ACTE, the Green Business Travel project is supported by the German Federal Environment Agency and the Federal Ministry for the Environment.
“As a global business travel association that has continually championed green travel initiatives, ACTE is pleased to support this important project in conjunction with VCD,” Susan Gurley, ACTE Global Executive Director, said. “As the first industry association to develop tools and programs to reduce carbon emissions, ACTE is well-qualified to advise its member-partners, and help them achieve the greatest success in all their environmental programs.”
“The negative environmental impacts of business travel are often underestimated,” Anja Hänel, VCD Project Director “Green Business Travel,” noted. “If we want to change our ways of travel, we have to show that environment and business ob
The Green Business Travel project will provide companies, and the public sector, with a toolkit on the ecological aspects of planning and taking business trips. Checklists and a cost calculator will identify those areas in which travel practices can be made more environmentally friendly, as well as enable them to estimate expenses. In addition, a variety of alternatives will be suggested such as avoidance, shifting transport, ecological optimization and compensation.
The toolkit also will contain practical green measures that can be taken by a company in the areas of organization and administration, fleet management, choosing means of transportation and accommodation.
Companies will also be given the opportunity to submit their already implemented and successful environmentally friendly practices, which will be entered into a contest. The winning company will receive the CSR-Mobility-Award and a BahnCard 50 sponsored by Deutsche Bahn AG. For more information, please go to www.csr-award.de.
ABOUT ACTE:
The Association of Corporate Travel Executives (ACTE) represents the global business travel industry through its international advocacy efforts, executive level educational programs, and independent industry research. ACTE's membership consists of senior travel industry executives from more than 50 countries representing the €200 billion business travel industry. With the support of sponsors from every major segment of the business travel industry, ACTE develops and delivers educational programs in key business centers throughout the world. ACTE has offices in Asia, Canada, Europe, Latin America, South Africa, and the United States. For more information on ACTE, please go to www.acte.org.
ABOUT VCD:
Verkehrsclub Deutschland (Transport Club Germany – Association) is an environmental organization working towards environmentally friendly and socially sustainable mobility. The current focus on climate change and the environment has brought to the fore the necessity of changing our ways, particularly in the area of transportation, if we are to reduce negative environmental impacts. Therefore, interest has increased in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and the qualitative aspects of business travel, not only economic efficiency. For more information on VCD, please go to www.vcd.org/geschaeftsreisen. Press contact: Daniel Kluge, Fon +49(0)30/280351-12, E-Mail [email protected],
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For more information, contact:
Debbie Flynn
CEO
Brighter Group
The Pod, London's Vertical Gateway
Bridges Wharf, Battersea
London SW11 3BE England
T: 020 7326 9880
F: 020 7326 9890
E: [email protected]
W: www.brightergroup.com