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For many companies, especially in professional services, face-to-face interactions are the backbone of client relationships. But with travel making up a significant portion of corporate carbon footprints, it’s clear that something has to give.
To explore how businesses are navigating this challenge, I sat down with Ella McCorquodale, Senior Researcher and Sustainability Co-ordinator at Odgers Berndtson. With a background in Social Anthropology from the University of Edinburgh and a dissertation focused on ethnographic research, Ella has spent years studying global sustainability challenges. Her deep interest in ESG and supply chains led her to Australia, where she studied the Modern Slavery Act, and later to Washington, D.C., where she worked on policy engagement with senators and representatives.
At Odgers Berndtson, Ella has helped shape the company’s sustainable travel policy, ensuring that ESG considerations are not just about compliance but are integrated into leadership decisions worldwide. In fact, Odgers Berndtson was the first executive search firm to have science-based targets, a milestone that underscores their commitment to real change. With 48% of Odgers Berndtson’s Scope 3 emissions coming from business travel, the firm has had to confront the reality of balancing commercial needs with sustainability commitments. So how do you navigate this tension? Let’s dive in.
The Reality of Competing Priorities
“Sustainability doesn’t exist in a vacuum,” Ella told me. “It has to live alongside financial targets, operational needs, and client expectations. If your CEO and leadership team don’t care about ESG, it won’t stay on the agenda,” she said.
This is the brutal truth: businesses don’t make decisions in isolation. If sustainability isn’t integrated into commercial objectives, it risks being sidelined when priorities shift. That’s why, at Odgers Berndtson, sustainability isn’t just about reducing emissions, it’s about making it make sense for the bottom line.
The challenge, however, is that sustainability often requires short-term costs for long-term benefits. Companies must navigate internal resistance, industry norms, and financial realities while staying true to their environmental commitments. “It’s not just about cutting emissions, it’s about ensuring our business thrives in a world that increasingly values sustainable practices,” Ella explained. “Clients, candidates, investors, and employees are all paying attention, and if we don’t take action, we risk falling behind.”
For Odgers Berndtson, a massive impact opportunity actually comes from the service they offer. Yes, they of course generate their own company emissions, but by recruiting and placing individuals who care about sustainability into leadership roles across companies globally, it creates a positive knock-on effect that extends far beyond their own footprint. Much like their own C-suite leading by example, this approach ensures that sustainability is embedded at the highest levels of decision-making, influencing industries and businesses well beyond Odgers Berndtson itself.
Another key factor is how sustainability is communicated across the organisation. “If people perceive sustainability as an obstacle rather than an opportunity, they’ll resist,” Ella noted. “That’s why it’s critical to frame these initiatives as strategic business decisions rather than just environmental obligations.”
“At the end of the day, I don’t really care why you’re doing the right thing,” Ella said. “As long as you’re doing the right thing.” I totally agree with Ella here and think that’s an attitude more of us need to adopt.
Implementing a Sustainable Travel Policy That Actually Works
In an industry built on relationships, cutting back on business travel isn’t straightforward. “When we first started discussing a sustainable travel policy, there were real concerns that it might impact business objectives. Would clients feel neglected? Would we lose opportunities?” Ella explained.
The company’s response wasn’t to impose blanket bans but to introduce intentionality. “It wasn’t about stopping travel, it was about making it thoughtful,” she said. Every company flight now requires senior executive approval, and employees are encouraged to use public transport where possible. Domestic UK flights are strongly discouraged, and within Western Europe, the expectation is to take the train. For long-haul travel, the policy balances sustainability with practicality: business class is permitted for flights over eight hours, but anything less must be economy.
“This wasn’t an overnight decision,” Ella added. “We went through a full consultation period, engaging people across different sectors and regions to understand their needs and concerns. Buy-in from leadership was critical. If the CEO, COO and CFO are leading by example, it sends a powerful message.”
The Role of Behavioural Change
Changing behaviour at scale is no easy feat. “One of the biggest misconceptions,” Ella said, “is that people think we’re just trying to cut costs or restrict travel. In reality, we’re asking: Is this trip necessary? If it is, how do we do it in the most sustainable way?”
Another key factor? Preparing people without panicking them. “We wanted to provide advance notice before changes were coming, not just drop new rules on them overnight,” Ella noted. “That gradual approach helped ease concerns.”
There were also concerns about regional disparities. “Was the main concern that it might impact our objectives commercially? Are people going to be left out if they live in a region where trains, for instance, aren’t as viable? And there are also significant cultural differences in how people value in-person meetings over virtual ones.” These nuances had to be considered carefully.
And it’s not just about top-down mandates. “We’re currently taking inspiration from other organisations that utilise internal carbon credits where each team has a set of credits, with allocations tailored to different roles. Some teams will always have higher travel needs, and that’s fine. But they’re also capped. It’s about ensuring accountability without penalising people unfairly. This is something we’re hoping to implement at Odgers Berndtson soon.”
Managing Trade-Offs: Sustainability vs. Business Growth
So, what happens when sustainability and commercial needs collide? “You have to find middle ground,” Ella admitted. Last year’s International Partner Meeting was a perfect example. Taking place in India, the event coincided with the rollout of the new sustainable travel policy. Instead of cancelling the meeting, the company compromised: all flights were economy, and electric coaches were hired to shuttle attendees to the venue.
“There were tough conversations,” Ella said. “But ultimately, small adjustments like these make a big difference. Next year, we’re keeping it in Europe and exploring train options.”
The key takeaway? Sustainability doesn’t have to mean sacrifice. It’s about creative problem-solving, finding efficiencies, and aligning environmental targets with business realities.
Your Turn: How Does Your Business Navigate the Travel Dilemma?
What’s your take on the future of corporate travel? Are you seeing a shift in client expectations? How is your organisation balancing commercial objectives with sustainability goals?
