Climate Action Teams

MetLife’s Global Travel & Expense Policy has employee comfort in its best interest. While ensuring comfort, MetLife must also simultaneously pursue opportunities for low-cost options. It is important to always follow MetLife’s travel policy when making travel plans. To read more about MetLife’s travel programs and policies, access the travel booking tool, and get other important tips and information, please visit: Travel Services (metlife.com)

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Every year, millions of people travel for business and quite likely you are one of them. When we plan ahead and make earth-conscious decisions, we can significantly reduce our carbon footprint when traveling and improve the impact.

But how?

MetLife is already making great strides to limit our climate impact as part of our movement toward our goal of Net Zero emissions. All MetLife travelers are encouraged to eliminate all non-essential travel. For example, our travel team recommends avoiding travel for internal meetings when possible, using Webex and Telepresence (when appropriate), visiting multiple clients in one trip (if possible), and limiting the number of team members that attend conferences. In addition, since 2016 when we first achieved carbon neutrality, we have supported sustainable development projects around the world to offset the travel [1] that is essential.

Calculate Your Carbon Footprint in Advance

Consider where you’re going—are you able to travel by car, bus, train, or plane? It probably won’t surprise you that planes are considered the worst way to travel when it comes to carbon emissions; however, in rare cases, they may be more sustainable for a single traveler. That’s why it’s important to do the math.

Good News! MetLife’s travel booking tool will show you the carbon emissions associated with your travel.

If you choose to drive, you should consider your route. Fuel efficiency can be affected by elements such as frequent inclines as well as acceleration and breaking. If possible, choose a route (or use a tool like Google Maps – now equipped with a variety of eco options) which avoids heavy traffic areas and excessive winding. The straighter the path, the more fuel efficient you will be.

Sustainable Travel

You may have heard the term sustainable travel used before, but what is it really, and how does it relate to you on an individual level?

Traveling sustainably means you consider the social, environmental, and economic impacts your actions have on the people and places you’re visiting. On the surface, this may sound impossible to do. But, at its core, it means simply this: be considerate of your surroundings and the potential impact of your actions while you travel. To help you out, we’re further breaking this down into actionable steps you can take.

• AVOID PAPER | Whether it’s a boarding pass, map, or local brochure—leave it where it is. It’s all available on your phone! No paper required.
• TRAVEL WITH OTHERS | Once at your destination, how do you plan to get around? Public transportation is a great option to limit your carbon footprint. If you need to rent a car, consider a hybrid or electric vehicle, and always carpool with your coworkers when possible!
• PURCHASE LOCALLY | This doesn’t just apply to the goods you buy but also the food you eat and the services you support. By spending your money at local businesses, you are helping to support the local economy and the people who live in the place you’re visiting. (P.S. you should also consider supporting diverse and sustainable companies all the time at MetLife, in support of our goal to spend $5 billion with diverse suppliers by 2030 [2]) 
• TRAVEL BY TRAIN (AND PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION IN GENERAL) | Travelling by train is an optimal transportation option that is often overlooked, and it may be a better alternative for short-distance flights. Taking a train is on average 20x more CO2 efficient than taking a flight. Most passenger trains have a variety of seating options and amenities (e.g., wi-fi), so you have the flexibility of sleeping, relaxing, or working as needed.
• REDUCE, REUSE, AND RECYCLE | Bring reusables when you travel—a reusable water bottle and some travel utensils don’t take up much space in your luggage, and you can avoid single-use products on your trip. At your hotel, reuse your towels more than once and put the “do not disturb” sign on your door so housekeeping doesn’t clean every day. Most business trips are short, yet you’ll be shocked at the amount of water and energy these actions can save!
• SUSTAINABLE ACCOMMODATION (FOR PERSONAL TRAVEL) | While MetLife business travel must be booked through our preferred TMC’s OBT, we thought we’d add in this bonus tip for any potential vacation travelers out there! If possible, choose a hotel that has an eco-friendly certification. Popular booking sites like Expedia and Booking.com—even Google—have tools to identify sustainable lodging.

If You Do Need to Travel by Plane…

The truth is sometimes flying is the only (or most practical) option. So, what can you do to help minimize your climate impact as much as possible?

• FLY ECONOMY | … Not business class even when the Global Travel & Expense Policy permits business class on flights greater than 6 hours. Because the seats in business/first class are larger and take up more room, your carbon footprint is smaller when you fly economy.
• CHOOSE YOUR PLANE WISELY | When booking your ticket, most airlines show you the type of plane you will be traveling on. If possible and cost effective, try to choose one that’s new and fully up to date. This means you’ll be getting the best gas mileage available on the market.
• TRAVEL LIGHT | This is a great tip to keep in mind whether you’re flying or driving. More weight = more CO2 used. Try to narrow it down to just one bag. (You can check out the next section for tips that will help you out with this!) 
• FLY DIRECT | Skip connection flights if possible and cost effective. Takeoff and landing use the most energy during a flight, and therefore produce the most CO2. Avoid adding more to your itinerary than necessary. 

Pack with Multi-Purpose in Mind 

As mentioned above, the more items you pack (and the heavier your luggage weighs), the more CO2 is produced. This is true regardless of your method of transportation; plane, train, or automobile.

Whether it’s your clothes or your toiletries, pack with multi-purpose in mind. Choose clothing items that can be mixed, matched, and reused in different ways. Select shoes that are going to be as universal as possible for your destination. And what about shampoo, conditioner, and soap? We recommend going with bars—these are much more travel-friendly, create less plastic waste, and you can use them in multiple ways. (For example, conditioner is a great substitution for shaving cream.)

Oh, and don’t forget a reusable tote bag. Whether it’s grocery shopping or lugging around work supplies, these come in way handier than most people give them credit for—with the extra benefit of no single-use plastic bag waste! Plus, if you’re traveling by plane, you can absolutely use your tote as your one “personal item.”

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And there you have it—a variety of tips you can take with you to stay climate-conscious while traveling for business. Are there any we missed? Comment in the Yammer thread to let us know your personal sustainable travel tips!