Business travel remains one of our largest sources of greenhouse emissions, accounting for 26% of the UK’s total emissions. In an ideal world, no one would have to travel to work or events, some might even point to the way everyone adapted in COVID as a prime example of this in practice. However, for many that model of work is not feasible in the long-term. So, how can we reduce this unavoidable stream of emissions? Businesses are starting to take the right steps, however, today’s guest is paving the way as a shining example of sustainable business travel and events management.   In this episode, Mel is joined by Christopher Truss, Global Sustainability Director at Reed & Mackay, to discuss their impressive existing ISO Standard portfolio and their journey towards ISO 14064 carbon verification. You’ll learn ·      Who is Chris Truss? ·      Who are Reed & Mackay? ·      What are the highlights from Reed & Mackay’s latest Sustainability and Responsible Business report? ·      What Standards are Reed & Mackay certified to? ·      What is the demand for sustainability within the business travel and events management sector? ·      Why get ISO 14064 verified? ·      What were the challenges with obtaining ISO 14064 verification? ·      What are the benefits of obtaining ISO 14064 Verification?   Resources ·      Reed & Mackay ·      Reed & Mackay Sustainable and Responsible Business Report 2024 ·      Carbonology   In this episode, we talk about: [02:05] Episode Summary – We welcome today’s guest, Chris Truss, Global Sustainability Director at Reed & Mackay, to explore their ISO Standards portfolio and journey towards ISO 14064 verification. [02:40] Who is Chris?: Chris has had over 20 years experience in the business travel industry. He is currently responsible for driving the sustainability agenda at Reed & Mackay, which includes the development of services and solutions that their clients require to meet their own sustainability initiatives. He also manages a wide range of third-party suppliers. A lesser know fact about Chris is in a band, playing the folk fiddle and singing in pubs around Yorkshire. He also plays tennis in the over 45 category for Yorkshire! [04:50] Who are Reed & Mackay? – Reed & Mackay are a global travel management and event management business. They help clients all the way from picking up the telephone and making bookings on their behalf, helping them source appropriate venues for their events and then managing the overall spend, the supply chain and ultimately reporting back to them on what they've been up to and how they can improve their processes and save money. Reed & Mackay are highly regarded for their quality of services, especially within the professional services sector, and they proudly boast a number of large blue chip clients. [05:50] What are some of the highlights in Reed & Mackay’s Sustainability and Responsible Business Report? When Chris came into his latest role, he looked to tackle two main points: ·      How can Reed & Mackay operate sustainably? ·      How can we articulate that to our clients? As a result of the work Chris has done, Reed & Mackay have signed up to the United Nations Global Compact and have aligned themselves with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. They have also become an EcoVadis rated supplier and are undertaking their first Carbon Reduction Plan disclosure. From a corporate responsibility point of view, they have made great strides to improve their gender pay gap. They are also ensuring the integrity of their charitable partnerships. [08:00] What are some of the sustainability initiatives that Reed & Mackay have started? Reed & Mackay support a charity called 4Ocean, who are trying to remove as much plastic from our oceans as possible. They selected this charity in particular due to it’s g