Tech companies cut business travel in half by 2023, but Alphabet, Apple lag, study shows By Reuters

(Reuters) – Global technology giants halved their emissions from business flights in 2023 from 2019, but companies such as Apple (NASDAQ: ) and Google parent Alphabet (NASDAQ: ) are lagging behind, risking a return to past levels of the pandemic, Brussels declared – the NGO said in a report.

Business travel last year approached pre-pandemic levels but lagged behind leisure travel as geopolitical strife and a slower recovery in key markets prevented a full recovery.

Emissions from corporate flights of 26 major technology companies analyzed by Travel Smart, a campaign led by Transport & Environment (T&E) fell by an average of 49% in 2023, it found.

While this shows that many tech firms are on the right track, only seven have set specific reduction targets that are essential to keeping the number of business flights under control, T&E said.

Alphabet, which has not set an emissions reduction target, and Apple, which has set a broader target, are slowly moving back toward 2019 levels, T&E said.

The two were among the worst performers, with emissions reductions from corporate travel of just 23% and 31% respectively in 2023.

“How can (Google chief) Sundar Pichai say Google is progressing toward a sustainable future when its travel emissions are going in the wrong direction?” said Denise Auclair, corporate travel manager at T&E.

Microsoft (NASDAQ:), IBM (NYSE: ) and SAP, despite significant cuts, are also at risk because they are among the companies flying the longest without setting cut targets, T&E said.

“Tech companies have long claimed to be climate leaders, and many have substantially reduced their emissions from business travel, but if they want to be credible, they need to set reduction targets,” added Auclair.

Asked about its performance, Apple said it had already reduced its greenhouse gas emissions by more than 55 percent since 2015 as part of its goal to become carbon neutral by 2030.

“We do this by reducing our entire carbon footprint – including business travel – and implementing significant reductions in our biggest sources of emissions,” an Apple spokesman told Reuters.

Other companies were not immediately available for comment.