This requirement is part of the Netherlands Climate Agreement and it applies to both business travel and commuting. The Work-related Mobility of Persons Decree and its reporting obligation aim to reduce CO2 emissions caused by work-related mobility by at least 1.5 megatons by 2030.

The Agreement presents the shift from air to rail as a solution to reduce emissions. It states that all trips for distances under 700 km, where travel time from door to door by train is <150% the travel time by plane, should be done by rail. 

There will be an assessment of the reported data in 2026. If evaluation of the reports shows that the collective target of a 50% reduction in 2030 will not be achieved, the Dutch government will impose norms on a maximum of CO2 emissions per km, with which individual companies will have to comply.  

The members of the Anders Reizen coalition, a group of more than 70 large companies with around 550,000 employees, have pledged to follow the Dutch government requirements to shift to rail and reduce emissions.

Read more about our recommendations regarding the shift from air to rail here.

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This is particularly relevant to business travelers, who are increasingly looking for more sustainable travel options, but often encounter obstacles.

The proposal is currently pending for approval and it’s expected in September 2023.

Shift to rail – emissions reduction – EU Green Deal

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The Commission’s annual Environmental Statement 2023, released in April 2024 for the period 2022, reveals a big drop in emissions from flying by staff (-42%) as well as by external experts (-61%), between 2019 and 2022. The data accounts for the full impacts of flying including both CO2 emissions, as well as non-CO2 greenhouse gas emissions notably from plane contrails.

A number of Commission services have included quantitative emissions reduction targets in their Annual Management Plans, while DG Budget committed to year on year reduction of the budget for professional travel. A new guide to missions was developed in 2023, facilitating a shift to rail by allowing train travel in defined circumstances when more costly than flying.

European Commission business air travel emissions

In 2022 just under half of some of the world’s biggest corporate flyers in the Travel Smart Emissions Tracker sample – 115 out of 235 – were able to keep their emissions levels low, with reductions of 50% or more as compared to 2019. Emerging data for 2023 confirms that leading companies including Swiss Re, AstraZeneca, EY and IKEA have maintained this momentum. 

However for many other top corporate flyers, emissions are creeping back up again. The Commission’s experience shows that committing to keep business travel emissions to 50% of 2019 levels, and working to make real progress, is both necessary and feasible. Legislators now need to help companies achieve this goal. The next European Commission should seize the momentum to set mandates for companies to halve business travel emissions, and to advance measures to accelerate the transformational changes underway towards the mobility of the future: purposeful business travel.

Notes to editor

[1] For more details, see the Travel Smart campaign’s Latest on business travel policy developments.

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Transport decarbonisation is a key pillar of this plan. Among the measures,  the government asks its staff to take the train instead of the plane for journeys that can be made in less than 4 hours by train as from January 2024.  

The French government explained this measure by stating that  “Air travel is the biggest emitter of greenhouse gasses. A drastic reduction in this mode of travel is therefore necessary to reduce the State’s carbon footprint. To achieve this, we need to promote less carbon-intensive alternatives such as the train, but also by reduction in the total number of trips.”

The State’s sobriety plan has been set out in a circular from the Prime Minister detailing the 20 mandatory sobriety measures within the State. Some of these measure include a 2024 target, aiming at a reduction of 20% of outbound journeys by air compared with 2019. The ambition of this target increases to a reduction of 30% by 2027.  More can be found in the circular under the Measure 5, Action 5. 

Read more about our recommendations regarding the shift from air to rail HERE

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Notably, the law also addresses emissions from international aviation and shipping that refuel in Switzerland, ensuring their inclusion in the overall reduction targets. To ensure progress, the Act sets ambitious interim targets for emissions reduction over specific periods.

Moreover, Article 5 requires companies to align with the net zero target by 2050, covering both scope 1 and 2 emissions. To facilitate this transition, companies are encouraged to develop transition plans, and those submitting plans by 2029 will receive support from the Federation.

While the law has been passed, the Swiss government is currently determining the date of its entry into force. It signals the nation’s determination to build a sustainable and resilient future, calling upon companies, industries, and individuals to join forces in reducing emissions, particularly in the context of business travel, where flying represents a significant climate challenge.

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The move is part of France’s wider goal to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 and reduce 40% of greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. Exceptions to the ban can be made for connecting flights or when no other transportation options are available. 

This can be a call for other EU countries to adopt similar measures, like Austria has done recently. Greenpeace argues that this would impact a third of Europe’s busiest short flights and eliminate 3.5 million tons of carbon emissions per year.

Short-haul flights outlawed – aviation emissions reduction – shift to rail

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The plans intend that:

• No planes will be allowed to land between midnight and 5am.
• No planes will be allowed to take off between the hours of midnight and 6am.
• The noisiest types of aircraft will not be allowed.

• Private jets will no longer be welcome.
• An intended further runway will not be built.

Airports and private jet companies may need to adapt to this changing landscape and find new ways to operate sustainably.

The initiative has been blocked by court ruling. 

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The move is part of the government’s efforts to enhance sustainability in the aviation sector as outlined in the “Aviation Memorandum 2020-2050.” By setting clear and enforceable limits on permitted CO2 emissions, the new law aims to ensure that climate targets are met. Although specific thresholds for each airport are yet to be determined, the caps will remain fixed for several years, allowing airports to compensate for any excess emissions. The implementation will also explore measures such as monitoring and reporting of fuel data to regulate and forecast CO2 emissions effectively. The cap is scheduled to take effect in 2025.

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The group highlighted the success of carbon neutrality by 2050 as a long-term climate objective at the 41st session of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Assembly, but argued that more needs to be done, including the rapid deployment of sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs) to increase supply and lower prices. They also called for broader reflection on air transport uses and exploring options for sustainable and fair air transport. 

“We must have the courage to recognise that air transport is essential in many cases, particularly to connect island and peripheral States, to accomplish health missions, to develop exchanges and to make people closer but that it is sometimes used irresponsibly when the journey could be made using a zero carbon alternative mode or replaced by a video conference.”

Measures on minimum ticket prices, a clear definition of the operating base of air carriers, and the possibility of restricting short flights could also be included. The group also suggested making stakeholders more accountable by increasing transparency on their carbon footprint and implementing specific regulations, particularly regarding business aviation.

Reduced short-haul flights – use of virtual collaboration tools – shift to more sustainable travel modes

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The report begins by outlining the history and development of voluntary carbon markets, which allow companies and individuals to offset their emissions by purchasing carbon credits from projects that reduce or remove emissions elsewhere. The report notes that voluntary offsetting has faced criticism for being poorly regulated, with some projects failing to deliver the promised emissions reductions, or even leading to negative environmental and social impacts.

To address these concerns, the report recommends that the UK government should establish a regulatory framework for voluntary offsetting that ensures transparency, additionality, and environmental integrity. The report also recommends that the government should set standards for project selection and monitoring, and ensure that carbon credits are retired only once they have been verified by an accredited third party.

In addition to the government’s role in regulating and promoting voluntary offsetting, the report also recommends actions that companies and individuals can take to ensure that their offsetting is effective: the report notes that companies should focus on reducing their own emissions first, and only use offsetting as a last resort. When purchasing offsets, companies should prioritise high-quality projects that deliver additional emissions reductions beyond business-as-usual scenarios, and should engage in due diligence to ensure that the projects have robust monitoring and verification systems in place.

Transparency – shift to rail – use of virtual collaboration tools

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