Case Study Spotlight: Harmonizing Travel Procurement

The GBTA Sustainable Procurement Standards is a consolidated bank of sustainability questions for travel procurement that aligns with international sustainability standards. It enables corporate travel buyers to assess the sustainability efforts of suppliers (including airlines, hotels, and car rental companies) in a consistent and harmonized manner. Companies spend US $1.57 trillion globally on business travel every year. According to the GBTA Sustainability Acceleration Challenge, one third of companies are currently choosing travel suppliers based on climate criteria, alongside other factors. Most of these companies are getting data on supplier sustainability through RFPs with custom or third-party developed questions. The Sustainable Procurement Standards are a globally-aligned set of questions developed by the industry, for the industry, having been vetted by more than 50 companies -- including buying organizations, travel suppliers, and standard setters such as the International Air Transport Association (IATA), Travalyst, and the World Sustainable Hospitality Alliance (WSHA). As an open-source solution, the Sustainable Procurement Standards gives corporate travel buyers the tools to make procurement decisions, report in a way that aligns with current and anticipated legislations, and deliver on their sustainability objectives. The standards also ensure that suppliers are better prepared to respond to requests for information. Click here to read the full case study.*

The GBTA Foundation case study was submitted to the SPLC Leadership Awards program, and was awarded the 2025 SPLC Leadership Award for Public Interest Advocate. Visit the SPLC website for more information on the Leadership Awards Program.

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