Our Commitments
The travel industry acts as a powerful driver of global economics as well as a pathway to shared knowledge, culture, and experience. However, travel also comes with significant sustainability-related risks and impacts. The need for greater awareness and action is therefore inextricably tied to the long-term viability of our industry, and we remain focused on contributing to sustainable development within our business and beyond. Our strategy builds on three commitments:
1
To operate our business more sustainably and build a culture of sustainability.
2
To make it easier for travelers to make more sustainable travel choices.
3
To catalyze sustainable travel growth through external collaboration.
Kate Heiny
VICE PRESIDENT, SUSTAINABILITY
“In addition to reducing our own impact, we recognize the critical need for continued work with peers and partners to create a more sustainable travel ecosystem, leveraging our capacity to touch the journeys of millions of travelers each year.”
Our commitments have an impact on the following areas:
1
Planet
Our planet is our home and also our destination. We aim to help protect and preserve it in order to honor our customers and our mission.
The travel and technology sectors produce a substantial amount of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, which are the number one driver of human-caused climate change, disrupting communities and ecosystems worldwide. While change must happen together, we will not set a higher bar for our partners or our customers than for ourselves. We want to lead the way and are committed to honoring the Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action in Tourism1 and the goals laid out in the Paris Agreement. Read more in our Climate Action Plan.
Our 2040 Net-Zero Target
We aim to achieve net-zero emissions by 2040, a full decade ahead of the goals set out in the Paris Agreement. This means reducing our absolute Scope 1 & 2 emissions by 95% against a 2019 baseline by the end of 2030 and maintain this reduction through 2040. We also commit to reduce our absolute Scope 3 emissions by 50% against a 2019 baseline by the end of 2030 and reduce 90% by 2040. These goals have been validated by the Science Based Targets initiative.2
2
People & Communities
People are the foundation of our business. In return, we do our best to continuously support them, gathering feedback and raising the bar along the way.
We strive to provide empowering and inclusive work environments through a continued focus on the well-being of our employees. This includes efforts related to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) as well as employee engagement, talent management, and recognizing and rewarding that talent. As a foundation, we support and respect international human rights standards and work to address adverse human rights impacts of our business.
Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion
Our goal is to create workplaces and ways of working that advance and celebrate DEI. This not only aims to provide a safe working environment but one that benefits from diverse perspectives, allowing for a more holistic approach to business decision-making. Our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion means honoring all experiences, valuing all voices, and leading with empathy.
Employee Well-being
The health, safety, and well-being of our employees is of the utmost importance. Well-being is more than just mental health, and at Booking Holdings, our inclusive approach recognizes that well-being looks different based on identity and background.
Continuous Learning
Booking Holdings is a community of passionate learners, and we maintain a skills-centric and knowledge-sharing culture to encourage lifelong learning. We believe investing in people is a key element in our commitment to social responsibility and building a culture of sustainability within our business.
Community Engagement
Booking Holdings gives back to communities by supporting local initiatives with time, knowledge, and funding. In doing so, we build stronger relationships with communities, engage employees, and inspire travelers to make a positive difference.
3
Travel
By helping to create and promote more sustainable travel options, we can meaningfully contribute to the preservation of a world worth experiencing.
More sustainable travel can empower marginalized communities, broaden horizons, preserve cultural heritage, and rejuvenate our travel ecosystem. Crucially, it can help make certain that the planet, its people, communities, habitats, and wildlife can thrive today and into the future. Through product innovation, partner support, and industry collaboration, Booking Holdings and our brands have committed to making more sustainable travel easier for millions of customers worldwide.
Accommodation & Transportation
By 2027, over 50% of our bookings will be made on more sustainable offerings across our platforms. Helping to create and promote more sustainable travel options is one of our biggest levers for change. We want our partners to be able to showcase their efforts via our platforms, and our customers to have consistent, credible ways of understanding the impact of their travel and clear pathways to more mindful decision-making. To this end, we work continuously with our partners to increase awareness, provide education, and increase and optimize their sustainability efforts.
Collaborating and Advocating for a More Sustainable Industry
Our goal is to identify and co-create innovative solutions for more sustainable travel through advocacy, investments, and partnerships. We advocate for industry developments and address sustainability challenges by participating in various trade associations and partnering with other travel and technology organizations on a range of initiatives.
FOOTNOTES
1. The Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action in Tourism is led by UN Tourism in collaboration with the Travel Foundation and aligns tourism stakeholders with the climate goals set out in the Paris Agreement.
2. The Science-Based Targets initiative (SBTi) defines and promotes best practices in science-based target setting for emissions reductions.
