UTRECHT, NETHERLANDS – BCD Travel has earned a gold rating in an independent assessment measuring its sustainability performance - the only travel management company to achieve the top rating for three consecutive years.
The rating places BCD Travel in the top 1% of all suppliers assessed by EcoVadis, the world’s leading platform for CSR audits for global supply chains. BCD uses the assessment in part to demonstrate its transparency as a supplier partner, secure customer supply chains, minimize risk of legal exposure and enhance its brand.
In achieving its gold rating, BCD Travel marked an 18% improvement in its overall score since first attaining EcoVadis gold in 2016. The achievement is especially notable since, as a company’s sustainability program matures, it becomes more challenging to make incremental improvements in the EcoVadis rating.
“Achieving a gold rating from EcoVadis is an impressive accomplishment in any given year; maintaining the highest rating three years in a row puts us among the top suppliers in the world for our commitment to sustainability,” said John Snyder, BCD Travel President and CEO. “It’s an important achievement that reflects our vision and mission as a company.”
Some of the key initiatives reflected in BCD’s 2018 gold ranking included:
- Improved reporting to align with new Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Standards
- Implementation of a global management system for environment, health and safety
- Increase in the number of global locations certified to ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001 to 70%
- Improved environmental reporting, including CDP (Carbon Disclosure Project) submission and Carbon Verification Statement
- Implementation of additional global policies in the areas of labor practices, human rights, and sustainable procurement
The EcoVadis methodology examines 21 criteria across four themes of environment, fair labor practices, ethics/fair business practices, and supply chain. These issues are based on international CSR standards, such as the UN Global Compact, the International Labour Organization (ILO) conventions, Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) standards, the ISO 26000 standard, and the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.
In addition, over 150 leading multinationals worldwide, use EcoVadis to monitor the CSR performance of their supply chains. These include such respected brands as Alcatel-Lucent, BASF, Bayer, Centrica/British Gas, Coca-Cola Enterprises, Heineken, ING Bank, Johnson & Johnson, L’Oréal, Merck, Nokia, Michelin, Nestlé, Schneider Electric, and Verizon.
The top rating from EcoVadis adds to a string of recognitions for BCD Travel for its sustainability achievements in recent years:
- In October, CR Magazine named BCD Travel President and CEO John Snyder as Responsible CEO of the Year for a Private Company, garnering international recognition at 3BL Forum, the leading event for corporate responsibility and sustainability practitioners.
- The prestigious Stevie Awards named Christian Dahl, senior vice president of Strategic Talent Management & Global Human Resources for BCD Travel, the 2017 Human Resources Executive of the Year, citing BCD’s multi-year, global initiative to put its people first with the design and implementation of a comprehensive talent management recruitment and retention program.
- Investors in People, a globally recognized workplace ratings firm, in 2017 awarded BCD Travel three-year accreditation in people management for the company’s results in leading, supporting and managing people well for sustainable results. BCD was the first travel management company to pursue and receive IIP’s independent endorsement, positioning the TMC as one of the top companies to work for in the corporate travel industry.
- IIP ratings set the standard for what it takes to lead, support and manage people well for sustainable results. More than 14,000 businesses and organizations across 75 countries have been accredited by the people management auditor since 1991. In issuing its three-year accreditation of BCD Travel, the ratings firm compared the company’s performance against a proven, 27-scale framework of talent-management success. IIP also measured how well talent management supports BCD’s internal goals for culture, leadership, business growth and workforce development.
- Forbes magazine named BCD Travel to its 2018 list of America’s Best Employers For Women. The magazine has ranked BCD Travel among America’s Best Employers three times.
- In October 2018, BCD Travel was named Most Admired Travel Management Company for the second year in a row and the sixth time since 2009 by readers of industry newsletter, The Beat. The recognition reflected results of a poll that asked readers which industry suppliers they most admire for their policies, management style, and service to clients.
- BCD Travel was ranked 29th on a list of 100 companies noted for flexible work environments in 2018. The recognition marked the fourth time BCD made the list compiled by FlexJobs, an online job search resource for professionals seeking telecommute, part-time or other flexible jobs.