Business Travel GHG Emissions Analysis

This working paper by the World Resources Institute examines how organizations can measure greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from air travel and implement science-based reduction targets, utilizing case studies from various non-profit and corporate entities.

• Air travel is a major contributor to global emissions, with projections suggesting it will represent 12 to 27 percent of global emissions by 2050. Furthermore, emissions from air travel are growing 70 percent faster than the initial expectations set by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), and business travel is estimated to constitute approximately 15 to 20 percent of global travel.
• In 2019, business travel in the United States involved over 460 million trips by residents, with total direct spending by domestic and international travelers reaching $334 billion.
• The paper provides practical guidance on GHG inventory approaches and science-based targets through case studies from several organizations. The Nature Conservancy, Environmental Defense Fund, and World Resources Institute are used to demonstrate the process of conducting inventories, while the European Investment Bank, Ikea, Carbon Intelligence, Toitu, Ericsson, and World Resources Institute illustrate the setting of science-based targets.

APA

World Resources Institute (n.d.). Business Travel GHG Emissions Analysis. https://www.wri.org/research/business-travel-ghg-emissions-analysis

Chicago

World Resources Institute. Business Travel GHG Emissions Analysis. n.d. https://www.wri.org/research/business-travel-ghg-emissions-analysis.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Resources Institute |title=Business Travel GHG Emissions Analysis |url=https://www.wri.org/research/business-travel-ghg-emissions-analysis |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldresourcesinstitutendbusiness, author = {{World Resources Institute}}, title = {{Business Travel GHG Emissions Analysis}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, url = {https://www.wri.org/research/business-travel-ghg-emissions-analysis}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }