Business travel: Are companies ready for more sustainability?

Things can't stay the way they were: In recent years, there has sometimes been severe turbulence in the Swiss SME sector. Unlike most air traffic turbulence, however, these have not always been harmless, but have made course changes inevitable for long-term business success. Nearly half of employees in Swiss SMEs (47 %) say recent crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine have also led to a rethinking of business travel. Not only in terms of security, but especially with regard to sustainability aspects. This is the conclusion of the current 2022 SME study by SAP Concur, a provider of expense and travel reporting systems.

Business travel: More sustainable, but also more expensive?

Further study results show that employees in SMEs have concrete ideas about the introduction of sustainable measures: 54 % of respondents would like to plan appointments strategically so that they travel less frequently but for longer, and 36 % would like greater flexibility in the choice of the means of transport they use for their business trips. Respondents recognize that the more sustainable alternative can often be the more expensive or take more time. They therefore express a desire for their companies to agree to higher expenses or travel costs (38 %) and longer travel times (41 %). If they still have to fly a lot, almost a quarter of employees (24 %) would like their company to pay sustainability compensation for this.

The respondents are aware that it is not always easy to choose the most sustainable means of transport when traveling to work or on business. That's why 38 % of them would like their employers to provide digital tools that already show the most sustainable option when booking business trips.

Flexibility for all distances

There is also an awareness that not only business trips to distant locations, but also the journey to the office or to a customer appointment nearby calls for flexible mobility concepts - especially if it is to be sustainable. Four out of ten respondents from Swiss SMEs (41 %) would therefore like their company to consider sustainable alternatives such as e-cars when planning mobility. 38 % also say they no longer need a company car and instead welcome a flexible car-sharing offer from their employer. Likewise, 38 % would like to have an e-bike. Job tickets for the region are also absolutely desired (37 %).

Three times better: Sustainable employee mobility

Many of the employees in Swiss SMEs would like to see more sustainability in their mobility planning and, at 27 %, almost three in ten say that their company has already introduced new regulations in the past year to make business travel more sustainable. "Many employees are ready to make their mobility behavior more sustainable. Now it's up to the companies to also provide the corresponding mobility concepts. The successful implementation of sustainable business travel programs is a win-win for the environment, employees and the company," says Dennis Torchetti, Head of Switzerland & CEE at SAP Concur. "When it comes to implementing environmentally conscious mobility concepts, digital solutions are the decisive key to success. They offer employees the greatest possible flexibility and at the same time enable transparent and responsible weighing of sustainability aspects and costs."

Source: SAP Concur

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