BCD’s commitment to sustainability is Platinum rated
With this third Platinum medal, BCD maintains its position as one of the highest-performing companies in the top 1% of the currently 90,000+ assessed by EcoVadis. The organization conducted a full assessment of BCD’s global sustainability management system across four themes: environment (including the Carbon Action Module, a solution to help procurement, sustainability teams, and trading partners collaborate on and address the need for carbon emissions reductions in the supply chain), labor standards and human rights, ethics and sustainable procurement. EcoVadis’ assessment includes 21 sustainability criteria across these four themes, using diverse data sources as well as technology and sustainability expert analyses. BCD earned four Gold EcoVadis ratings in 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019 before achieving Platinum in 2020 and 2021, ahead of this year’s rating.
BCD and the Science Based Targets initiative
BCD was the first travel management company (TMC) to join the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), a collaboration between CDP, the United Nations Global Compact, World Resources Institute (WRI) and the World Wide Fund For Nature (WWF). Our collective mission is to increase corporate participation on climate action in line with the Paris Agreement. The SBTi champions science-based target setting as a powerful way of boosting companies’ competitive advantage in the transition to the low-carbon economy. BCD is the first global TMC to have a science-based target validated by the SBTi. We committed to the SBTi in January 2020 and has been working on setting a meaningful target applicable to the organization’s scope.
Many BCD clients have established their own science-based targets as part of their commitment to meeting the objectives of the Paris Agreement. BCD’s validated target is crucial for aligning with and contributing to evolving client climate impact strategies and supply chain engagement expectations.
BCD’s validated best practices help support clients’ environmental goals
“The 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) really pushed corporate environmental strategies forward across industries. We have seen a real shift in our clients’ expectations from us as a sustainable member of their supply chain,” said Sharon Dirks, Senior Director, Sustainability at BCD Travel. “Scope 3 emissions represent a significant portion of many companies’ carbon output, so our clients need us to do more to help them achieve progress on their science-based targets. The hard work we’ve already put into our ISO certified global environment, health and safety management system, annual CDP submission for 11 years and now the validation of our science-based target by the SBTi, means we have the validated best practices and data to contribute to our clients’ environmental strategies.”
What is a science-based target?
An emissions-reduction target is ‘science based’ if it’s designed to keep global warming below 2° C from pre-industrial levels. BCD’s science-based target commits to reduce its absolute scope 1 and 2 emissions by 35% by 2030 from a 2016 base year. The SBTi has classified BCD’s scope 1 and 2 target ambition and has determined that it’s consistent with reductions required to keep global warming to well-below 2°C. Having our target validated by the SBTi ensures that we are using the latest in climate science for measurable steps to minimize our impact on climate change.
“I’m really proud of BCD’s standing as the first TMC to reach three times platinum rating with EcoVadis and have our science-based target validated with the SBTi. It demonstrates our commitment to being partners in climate, social and ethical accountability with our clients. It also reinforces why we should be the supplier of choice for sustainable business travel,” said Pippa Welch, Senior Manager, Sustainability at BCD.
BCD received these other recognitions for sustainability achievements in recent years:
- Best Corporate Social Responsibility Program, 2019 Business Travel Awards
- Winner in the category ‘Promotion of a Women-related Corporate Social Responsibility Project’, WINiT Awards
- Most Admired Travel Management Company, The Beat
