If you\u2019re wondering how green your business travel is, then you\u2019ll find yourself navigating a new world of cryptic terms and sustainability jargon.\u00a0Corporate travel is well known for its acronyms and aviation terminology. Now we can add some new items to the list. Here we\u2019ll list the most common sustainability terms and help you to better understand what it all means.<\/p>\n\n\n
Biodegradable materials are substances that can be decomposed or broken down by microorganisms and other living organisms. These include organic wastes like leftover food, kitchen waste including fruits and vegetable peels, etc. Non-biodegradable materials are substances that cannot be decomposed or broken down by microorganisms and other living organisms leading to pollution. These are inorganic wastes like plastic bags, cans, bottles, chemicals, etc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Your company\u2019s carbon footprint is the amount of carbon dioxide (C02) emissions released into the atmosphere through your everyday activities. These direct emissions include fossil-fuel combustion in manufacturing, heating and transportation, and the electricity associated with consumed goods and services. Additionally, the carbon footprint concept often includes the emissions of other greenhouse gases. These include methane, nitrous oxide, or chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When businesses strive to become carbon neutral, they take steps to remove the equivalent amount of C02 to what they have emitted through activities across their supply chains. This can be achieved by investing in \u2018carbon sinks\u2019 that absorb C02. These carbon sinks, such as forests or our oceans, absorb and store more carbon from the atmosphere than they emit. Investment into their health is called \u2018offsetting\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is the idea that a business has a responsibility to the society that exists around it. There are many methods to measuring social and environmental impact, sustainability efforts and profits. The \u2018three P\u2019s\u2019, or profit, people, planet is often used to summarise the driving force behind CSR strategies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) is used to describe three values that many organisations today strive to embody to help meet the needs of people from all walks of life. These include different races, ethnicities, religions, abilities, genders, and sexual orientations. Various industries may well need to take different approaches to DEI depending on the composition of their workforces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n