Supplier Accreditation

Objectives:

The ICARUS Europe Supplier Sustainability Accreditation has been created to recognise travel and meeting industry suppliers who are leading the way by commitment and actions to deliver best in class sustainability programmes.

We are looking to accredit companies who are committed to making sustainability a core function within their organisation and building programmes for the long term benefit of the customers, stakeholders and shareholders they serve.

Our objectives are to encourage buyers and sellers of travel and meetings to engage in meaningful conversations about the subject of sustainability and move the industry forward in a constructive and effective manner. The assessment criteria is, by design, a review of activities aimed at providing evidence of industry leadership as well as a commitment to travelers, customers, stakeholders and shareholders they serve.

Accreditation Criteria:

The accreditation criteria, set out below, is based on the goals and objectives of ICARUS Europe and designed to recognise the specific needs of buyers from the business travel and meetings industry.

In addition to using the objectives of ICARUS Europe as key criteria, we have applied the sustainable development objectives as advocated in the 1987 Brundtland Commission Report on "Our Common Future".

All submissions are undertaken through a set application format and each entry will need to be supported by evidence to support claims made.

Companies can apply on an individual country or pan-European basis.

Company accreditation will be given on a:

• Country basis via the local Business Travel Association e.g. ‘ICARUS Supplier Sustainability Accreditation'
• Or on a European wide basis e.g. - ‘ICARUS Europe Supplier Sustainability Accreditation'.

Applications will be assessed on the basis of an applicant's ability to provide evidence and demonstrate achievement of the following criteria:

• Describe your company, division and geographic location(s) for which your application covers
• Provide an overview of the sustainability strategy for the company and plans for the medium to longer term e.g. the next 5 - 10 years and explain the work and activities undertaken by the company to implement this strategy
• Describe the sustainability targets, how the company measures, reports and continually improves on performance plus evidence of current performance versus targets. Minimum requirement is the local country or European targets over a specified period. For example:
  a. To reduce emissions or improve CO2 efficiency from business travel by 15% by 2015
  b. To reduce energy consumption by 15% by 2015
  c. To reduce waste output by 15% by 2015
  d. To reduce water consumption by 15% by 2015
• Describe how the company encourages continuous delivery of best practices and communicates its sustainability programme to its customers, stakeholders and shareholders - specify activity by environment, social and economic impacts.
• Identify the benefits, both direct and indirect, to your organisation, employees, community, environment, and travel buyers and supply chains
• Provide any other relevant information to support the application. In particular, we are looking for evidence of commitment, leadership, achievement and creativity plus any external recognition of best practice.

Accreditation Process:

The ICARUS advisory board will consider all applications on their merit against the criteria as set out above.

Applicants are encouraged to provide as much information, reports and evidence to support their application.

A standard set of measures will be used with additional marks applied for clear evidence, targets, measurement and reporting of appropriate measures.

The weighting on each of the elements in the judging process may not necessarily be equal.
We will follow a 5 step process:

- Evidence is submitted through the set question applications on an ongoing basis
- Interviews may take place with company stakeholders if deemed appropriate
- Additional information may be required
- Accreditation is approved and announced
- Accredited company receives accreditation certificate and electronic accreditation stamp for company use

The judging panel will consist of the ICARUS advisory board with local country representatives where appropriate plus at least 2 external independent assessors.

ICARUS Sustainability accreditation is valid for 2 years after which applications for re-registration will be accepted.
Note: Each 24 months period we require an update on performance versus goals and objectives to maintain accreditation.

Costs:
The charge for entry is as follows:

• Country assessment - £1,000 or €1,200 for each entry
• European assessment - £2.000 OR €2,400 for each entry

Re-registration:

• Fee will be 50% of original fee

Please note: for the year ending December 2011 accreditation will be reduced by 50% in return for the awarded company providing a case study for use on the ICARUS website

ICARUS will keep a public register of all companies who are accredited. Certification is provided. Corporations will be able to display logo accreditation on e-mails and stationary.

Timescales:

Accreditation is ongoing - applications can be received at any time and we will endeavor to make a decision within 4 weeks.

FORWARD YOUR COMPLETED APPLICATION to Bernard Harrop, Head of Sustainability, ICARUS Europe on bernard.harrop@itm.org.uk

ICARUS Europe Sustainability Objectives

Environment:
- To help protect the environment through prudent use of natural resources
- To encourage companies to target carbon emission reductions followed by reductions in other environmental pollutants
- To provide effective communications, education, information, advice and tools to company employees to better understand the impact of other environmental pollutants as well as aid natural resource management and biodiversity

Economic:
- To encourage development of corporate travel programmes and supply chain procurement methodologies, that advance our economies on a need led basis and opportunity
- To promote the concept of business efficiency as the key to balancing investment in sustainability with financial benefits for the company and local communities in which they operate

Social:
- To recognise the needs of everyone
- To help develop corporate travel programmes, and procurement methodologies, that advance business travel whilst recognising traveller needs and a social perspective
- To ensure that duty of care, wellbeing, safety and security of travelling employees becomes an integral part of all travel programmes