Agency is first in the travel sector to sign up to the Net Zero Challenge
Agency to use app to motivate employees to help them hit emissions targets
8 April 2021
Travel Matters is the first company in the travel sector to join the Net Zero Challenge, a digital platform they will use to reward employees and meet their sustainability targets.
The platform launched to the Travel Matters team as website and app, with over 30 carbon saving activities covering recycling, sustainable travel, energy saving, biodiversity quizzes and more.
The Net Zero Challenge, provided by sustainability engagement experts Jump, motivates employees to practise behaviours that reduce their carbon emissions individually and as an organisation. In return employees are awarded ‘Green Points,’ with the top performing individuals and teams winning vouchers and charity donations for charities including Trees for Cities and the Galapagos Conservation Trust.
The Challenge uses competitive elements to encourage participants to reduce as many emissions as possible, with a sector leader board comparing performance of organisations within the travel sector.
Currently Travel Matters is topping the leader board with nearly 1,500 positive actions completed in the last month alone. These actions have avoided approximately 1,270kg of carbon emissions.
Travel Matters is well-known as a leader in conscious travel, placing a commitment to a net zero future at the heart of its business. Its award-winning ‘Make Travel Matter’ campaign aligns a great travel service with environmental awareness, and this was exemplified by the launch of its Climate Emergency Plan in 2020. The Net Zero Challenge provides Travel Matters with a practical tool to engage its people in the race to net zero whilst also increasing the agency’s positive social impact as a travel business.
Maryna Shcherbakova, Senior Travel Advisor, Travel Matters said of the Challenge: “We’re finding the Net Zero Challenge is a great way to get our team engaged in sustainability, which for us as a travel business is really important. It’s a lot of fun, the app is really easy to use and one feature I really like is the leader boards as we want to be the best in our sector!”
Travel Matters is pushing for change within the travel sector, encouraging other travel businesses to commit to change to guarantee a sustainable future. They are supporters of the Future of Tourism coalition, as well as a member of Tourism Declares a Climate Emergency.
Karen Simmonds, Founder, Travel Matters says: “We accept that we need to cut our global carbon emissions, and believe travel has a key role to play: we want to make travel matter. By using the Net Zero Challenge we are as a team having a positive impact and reducing our carbon emissions; and by encouraging trade suppliers and our travel partners to make similar commitments, I am hopeful that the travel sector can respond to the need for urgent action and accelerate the transition towards a net zero carbon future.”
The Net Zero Challenge was launched recently to help organisations to achieve their net zero targets. The Challenge is delivered by Jump, who have been providing engagement programmes in sustainability and well-being to clients across the private, public and university sectors for over 10 years .
Josh Cleall, Director, Jump says: “The travel sector has a real window of opportunity to lead the charge as we transition to a ‘new normal.’ We are delighted that Karen and her team at Travel Matters are the first in the travel sector to join the Net Zero Challenge and I look forward to more travel companies getting involved as organisations accelerate their plans to make net zero a reality.”
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For further information contact: Anna Ireland at [email protected] or call 020 7326 5055, or Karen Simmonds at [email protected].
- The Net Zero Challenge is a sustainability engagement tool designed to help organisations achieve their net zero goals by encouraging employees to reduce their carbon footprints.
- The Net Zero Challenge is brought to you by Jump, the UK’s leading supplier of engagement programmes that boost sustainability and wellbeing. Jump work with companies, universities and the public sector to motivate individuals to take positive steps. Clients include Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, Barclays, Camden Council, University of Bristol and ASM Pacific Technology.
- Travel Matters is a multi award winning independent travel concierge in London, established in 1999. They not only organise holidays which minimise on negative impact whilst maximising on quality but educate their customers as to how they can continue to make a difference in their future adventures. They are the founders of the educational campaign Make Travel Matter.