Business travel has long been a fundamental part of corporate operations, enabling companies to build relationships, expand markets, and foster innovation. However, it also contributes significantly to Scope 3 emissions, making it a key area for businesses looking to achieve their sustainability and net-zero goals. Scope 3 Category 6: Business Travel includes all employee travel in vehicles not owned or controlled by the company, such as airplanes, rental cars, taxis, trains, and buses.

With corporate sustainability commitments growing, organizations must accurately measure, report, and mitigate these emissions in line with GHG Protocol standards and regulatory frameworks like the Science-Based Targets initiative (SBTi) and CDP reporting. This blog provides an in-depth look at how to track, report, and reduce business travel emissions, helping businesses align their travel policies with their sustainability goals.

What is Scope 3 Category 6?

Scope 3 Category 6 refers to indirect greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from business-related travel in vehicles owned or operated by third parties. These emissions include:

• Air travel: Domestic and international flights taken by employees for work purposes.
• Ground transportation: Rental cars, taxis, ride-hailing services, corporate shuttle services, and public transit used for business-related travel.
• Rail travel: Train journeys taken for corporate travel, both domestic and international.
• Bus travel: Emissions from long-distance or local bus transportation for business purposes.
• Hotel stays (optional): Companies may choose to include emissions from employee accommodations as part of their business travel emissions inventory.

Exclusions:

• Commuting emissions (employees traveling to and from work) are accounted for in Scope 3 Category 7: Employee Commuting.
• Emissions from company-owned or leased vehicles fall under Scope 1 or Scope 2.
• Upstream transportation and distribution (Category 4) covers emissions from moving goods, not people.

Sprih Insight: Businesses can use Sprih’s emissions management platform to accurately track, categorize, and report Scope 3 Category 6 emissions for regulatory compliance and sustainability reporting.

Why Address Scope 3 Category 6 Emissions?

1. Compliance with Sustainability Standards

The GHG Protocol and CDP Reporting require businesses to account for all relevant Scope 3 emissions, including business travel. The Science-Based Targets initiative (SBTi) encourages companies to reduce business travel emissions as part of their net-zero strategy.

New EU regulations on corporate sustainability reporting emphasize value chain emissions tracking, making business travel reporting more important than ever.

2. Reducing Corporate Travel Costs

Frequent business travel is expensive, and by reducing unnecessary trips, companies can lower expenses on flights, hotels, and transportation.

Optimized travel policies can help businesses cut costs while reducing emissions, ensuring travel is necessary, strategic, and environmentally responsible.

3. Meeting Sustainability and Net-Zero Goals

Investors, stakeholders, and customers expect companies to prioritize sustainability and carbon reduction.

Businesses that report and actively reduce their business travel emissions improve their sustainability ratings, making them more attractive to investors.

4. Enhancing Corporate Reputation

A strong sustainability commitment boosts corporate brand value, helping companies stand out as responsible, climate-conscious organizations.

Employees increasingly prefer working for companies with sustainable travel policies, making business travel emissions reductions an HR priority.

Strategies to Reduce Business Travel Emissions

1. Reduce Non-Essential Business Travel

1. Encourage virtual meetings and remote collaboration to replace in-person travel.
2. Use advanced video conferencing tools like Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Google Meet.
3. Implement a company-wide travel reduction policy to prioritize sustainable alternatives.

2. Shift to Low-Carbon Travel Alternatives

1. Choose trains instead of flights for short-distance business trips.
2. Use electric or hybrid rental cars instead of gasoline or diesel vehicles.
3. Encourage employees to use public transportation instead of taxis or ride-hailing services.

3. Implement a Sustainable Corporate Travel Policy

1. Set internal travel emissions reduction targets as part of sustainability commitments.
2. Require employees to book economy-class flights instead of business class, which reduces emissions per traveler.
3. Encourage longer, consolidated business trips instead of multiple short ones.

4. Offset Unavoidable Business Travel Emissions

1. Invest in carbon offset programs, such as reforestation, renewable energy, and carbon removal projects.
2. Choose airlines that offer carbon-neutral flight programs.

Sprih Insight: Sprih’s sustainability management platform helps businesses track, reduce, and offset business travel emissions through real-time monitoring and data analytics.

How Sprih Helps Companies Track Scope 3 Category 6 Emissions

Automated Emissions Tracking: Sprih’s software integrates with corporate travel agencies and expense reporting systems to automatically capture business travel emissions data.
AI-Powered Optimization: The platform provides real-time insights on sustainable travel alternatives to reduce emissions.
Regulatory Compliance: Helps businesses align with GHG Protocol, CDP, and SBTi reporting frameworks for Scope 3 emissions transparency.

Take Action! Reduce Your Business Travel Emissions Today

Request a Demo to explore how Sprih’s sustainability platform can help your company track, report, and mitigate business travel emissions while ensuring compliance with sustainability regulations.