Sustainability Definitions

At ICARUS, we subscribe to the overarching definition of sustainable development, from the Brundtland's Commission's report, Our Common Future (United Nations World Commission on Environment and Development 1987).

"Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs."

Sustainable Development means inter-linking social, economic and environmental criteria. This can appear to be ambiguous, often generating competing priorities. ICARUS aims to help our industry develop and find a way through, by furthering the discussion and developing the tools for a corporate travel programme that is socially equitable, economically sound and environmentally conscious.

  1. Economics - Corporate travel is a key facilitator of economic prosperity and future opportunity in our globalised world with global transportation's contribution to catastrophic climate change being significant. Whilst climate change is the greatest economic risk facing humankind, the impact of social awareness and employee welfare is also crucial to the economic landscape

  2. Environment - Corporate travel programmes should monitor, evaluate and reduce their impact on both the global and local environment. Climate change is the single most important global environmental challenge society faces - but we must also acknowledge and address other pollutants as a result of business travel and meetings

  3. Social - The business travel industry has a Duty of Care not just to its employees, but those individuals, communities and cultures touched by business travellers and suppliers. When procuring travel services we need to ensure open competition, alongside fair, healthy and safe working practices and conditions for all