Morale highground

By N.B. | Washington, DC

GOING green doesn't have to be a slog. In a post sponsored by Terrapass, a company that sells carbon offsets, Sarah Lozanova outlines eight ways for companies to reduce carbon emissions associated with business travel. Terrapass would no doubt encourage your firm to buy carbon offsets (which Gulliver has covered sceptically in the past), but there are plenty of other ways to cut the environmental impact of your travel—and what stood out to me most about Ms Lozanova's suggestions was how many of them could also help improve employee morale:

• You can reduce carbon emissions by reducing the amount of time your employees are on the road. Some of us love to travel for business, but on balance, most people would probably prefer to spend more time at home with their families. So by cutting out some unnecessary trips, companies can make employees happy while reducing environmental impact—and saving money, too.
  
  
• If you must travel, Ms Lozanova notes, you can reduce your carbon footprint by purchasing nonstop tickets. Taking off is fuel-intensive. And no business traveller would prefer a transfer and a layover to a nonstop flight. By booking direct flights, companies can make employees happier—and brag about saving the planet at the same time.
  
  
• Shifting work hours so that employees are commuting during non-peak times can reduce a company's carbon footprint. It's also likely to make employees happier. Many people would prefer to start later or earlier. And studies have consistently shown that long commutes make people miserable. Why not cut workers a break—especially if it will help the environment?
  
  
• Even something as banal as choosing a greener fleet of company vehicles, as Ms Lozanova suggests, could make some employees happier. Green vehicles mean less time wasted filling up before returning the rental car, and they usually come with a host of modern features and amenities.

None of this means that combatting climate won't require sacrifices. First-class airline tickets, as Ms Lozanova notes, are horribly polluting on a per-passenger basis. But business travellers should take advantage of the fact that the less-polluting option is sometimes also the option we'd prefer. Having trouble convincing your company to buy direct flights, cancel that unnecessary business trip, let you work flexible hours, or rent you that Prius? Remind your bosses that it's not just what you want—it's also the greener choice.