American Express Global Business Travel (Amex GBT) has introduced emissions-based carbon pricing for air travel, enabling companies to calculate and apply carbon fees to flights. This initiative aims to help businesses address travel emissions and channel funds into sustainability initiatives.
Companies can now choose a methodology to calculate flight-specific carbon emissions and apply a carbon fee. These fees, visible to travellers during booking and on invoices, aim to raise awareness about environmental impacts and support corporate sustainability goals.
While some businesses already use flat or dynamic carbon pricing models, the updated system allows organisations to link carbon fees directly to decarbonisation projects. Funds collected through the programme can support initiatives such as sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), electric vehicles (EVs), and clean energy research and development.
Lucian Alexandru, Global Procurement Category Head at Sanofi said, “Emissions-based carbon pricing integrates sustainability into our travel programme while enabling investment in decarbonisation projects like SAF. This aligns with our company-wide emissions reduction efforts.”
Amex GBT leaders highlighted the role of carbon pricing in advancing sustainability in business travel. “This mechanism enables companies to address their carbon footprint and invest in lower-carbon solutions,” said John Sturino, SVP of Product and Engineering.
Nora Lovell Marchant, VP of Global Sustainability added, “Carbon pricing can help shift both companies and the aviation industry towards a sustainable future. However, pricing alone is insufficient—it must be paired with decarbonisation efforts to make clean alternatives more accessible.”
Emissions-based carbon pricing reflects increasing pressure on businesses to adopt sustainable practices. By linking travel emissions to funding for decarbonisation projects, this approach supports broader efforts to transition to a low-carbon economy while addressing the environmental impact of corporate travel.