Challenge
Siemens needed to improve their business travel sustainability performance and find a way to:
- Provide sustainable travel guidance to travelers
- Display emissions calculations in their online booking tool
- Set carbon fees for each flight option and collect the fee from the individual traveler to effectively reinvest in broader decarbonization initiatives.
Approach
BCD Travel, Siemens, and SQUAKE partnered to test different solutions. The team created an overlay to supplement the company’s chosen online booking tool which added emissions information for flights using DEFRA methodology, and an accompanying carbon fee to each fare displayed. BCD developed a way to charge and invoice the dynamic carbon fee during booking, allowing Siemens to reinvest in their desired decarbonization initiatives. Siemens’ first-mover market was Switzerland.
Results
- Increased employee engagement and understanding of company-wide and business travel sustainability goals.
- Collected €25,000 after only three months to reinvest in decarbonization initiatives.
- Increased visibility about carbon footprint during the booking/buying process and education on how travelers can reduce their carbon footprint whentraveling for business.
Siemens is a technology company focused on industry, infrastructure, transport and healthcare. From more resource-efficient factories, resilient supply chains, and smarter buildings and grids, to sustainable transportation as well as advanced healthcare, they create technology with purpose adding real value for customers.
Siemens is committed to furthering sustainable initiatives for both their clients and their company. “Sustainability is in our very DNA. It’s not an option. It’s a business imperative,“ said Judith Wiese, Chief People and Sustainability Officer at Siemens.
Siemens at a glance
Industry: Technology
Headquarters: Munich, Germany
Presence: over 200 locations worldwide
Number of employees: 327,000+
Annual revenue: €76 billion
Challenge
With an increased demand from stakeholders, shareholders and reporting requirements, Siemens needed to improve their business travel sustainability performance and align their travel program with greater companywide sustainability goals. They wanted a simple way to:
- Provide sustainable travel guidance to travelers.
- Display emissions calculations according to DEFRA calculation methodology in their chosen online booking tool (OBT).
- Set specific carbon fees for each flight option and collect the fee from the individual traveler to effectively reinvest in broader decarbonization initiatives to combat climate change.
Carbon emissions data of different travel options are visible to travelers in SAP Concur, but Siemens’ employees wanted to know more about their emissions.
Approach
Siemens partnered with BCD Travel and leading climate-tech company, SQUAKE to scope and develop a new solution. The small but agile team began testing different processes and methodologies. This involved creating an overlay to enhance the user experience of the company’s chosen OBT. The overlay adds emissions information for flights using DEFRA, Siemens’ preferred emissions calculation methodology, as well as adding an accompanying carbon fee to each fare displayed.
In addition to displaying the emissions and carbon fee, BCD developed a way to charge and invoice the traveler for the dynamic carbon price during the booking. This technology simplified a previously clunky process for companies to reinvest in sustainability initiatives. This process also gives companies the freedom to choose where they invest rather than sticking to a specific offering.
This solution allowed Siemens to:
- Provide more transparency on emissions for travelers including contextualization of the CO2 impact to make it more meaningful.
- Positively influence traveler booking behavior within the platform
As one of its key markets, Siemens decided to roll out the solution in Switzerland. Siemens decided to implement set carbon fees for regional/short- or mid-haul bookings and intercontinental/long-haul bookings.
Results
In just three months, BCD activated a key aspect of a sustainable travel solution for Siemens Switzerland to support their broader company goals. This resulted in:
- Increased employee engagement and understanding of company-wide and business travel sustainability goals.
- Increased visibility about carbon footprint during the booking/buying process and education on how travelers can reduce their carbon footprint when traveling for business.
- Collecting €25,000 from carbon fees to reinvest in decarbonization initiatives.
In one quarter, Siemens collected €25,000 in carbon fees from 600 bookings. Siemens Switzerland is reinvesting the
funds into a sustainable aviation fuel program. Their goal was not to eliminate travel, but to encourage people to travel
smarter and reinvest in sustainability initiatives.
The solution’s configurable banners and targeted messaging at both online and offline booking allows Siemens to influence traveler behavior and increase awareness around travel policy and emissions.
Siemens in Switzerland is a first-mover with BCD’s sustainability solution and is leading the way for other Siemens country organizations worldwide.
Sidebar callout: The features launched for Siemens make up just a small part of a
comprehensive and groundbreaking sustainable business travel solution recently
launched by BCD Travel with key features powered by SQUAKE.
Results
In just three months, BCD activated a key aspect of a sustainable travel solution for Siemens Switzerland to support their broader company goals. This resulted in:
- Increased employee engagement and understanding of company-wide and business travel sustainability goals.
- Increased visibility about carbon footprint during the booking/buying process and education on how travelers can reduce their carbon footprint when traveling for business.
- Collecting €25,000 from carbon fees to reinvest in decarbonization initiatives.
In one quarter, Siemens collected €25,000 in carbon fees from 600 bookings. Siemens Switzerland is reinvesting the
funds into a sustainable aviation fuel program. Their goal was not to eliminate travel, but to encourage people to travel
smarter and reinvest in sustainability initiatives.
The solution’s configurable banners and targeted messaging at both online and offline booking allows Siemens to influence traveler behavior and increase awareness around travel policy and emissions.
Siemens in Switzerland is a first-mover with BCD’s sustainability solution and is leading the way for other Siemens country organizations worldwide.
Sidebar callout: The features launched for Siemens make up just a small part of a
comprehensive and groundbreaking sustainable business travel solution recently
launched by BCD Travel with key features powered by SQUAKE.
At Siemens, we are committed to enabling our organization and our customers to achieve a positive sustainability impact in key areas including decarbonization and energy efficiency, resource efficiency and circularity, people centricity and societal impact. We’ve taken an aggressive approach to reducing our carbon emissions and are striving to achieve a 90% reduction in our own operation by the end of fiscal 2030. Our work with BCD Travel and SQUAKE is integral for our goals and has enabled us to implement a program that supports education and guidance around emissions reduction as well as a seamless way to reinvest in sustainable aviation fuel – a solution we are passionate about.
Gerd Scheller
Country CEO at Siemens Switzerland
The development of BCD’s sustainable travel program is a prime example of our dedication to partnership and innovation for both our customers and greater business travel industry. By working with our client and industry partners we were able to solve for a specific challenge and create a robust sustainable travel solution available for all our clients.
Lutz Nauert
Senior Vice President, Global Client Team – EMEA at BCD Travel
Learn more about our sustainability solutions