Airlines turning blue skies green

Though it might not seem like it, there is an upside to the recent frenzy of airline capacity cutbacks fueled by skyrocketing oil prices and a shaky economy.

The majority of aircraft being pulled from service are older, fuel-guzzling models and that can only mean good things for the environment.

American Airlines, for example, is scheduled to ground an unspecified number of aging MD-80s and three Airbus A300s during 2008, and hasten the delivery of more fuel-efficient Boeing 737-A300s in 2009 and 2010.

Continental will sideline 14 older Boeing 737 aircraft when leases expire this year, and Northwest Airlines plans to park some 15 to 20 DC-9s, Boeing 757s, and Airbus A319s and A320s.

The carrier is also retiring three cargo freighters and suspending cargo service to several destinations in Asia.

The list goes on. Southwest Airlines is cutting unproductive routes, and Delta will mothball 70 of its 50-seat regional jets by the end of the year. Other major airlines have similar plans in the works for the balance of 2008.

I don't have my flight carbon emission calculator handy at the moment (you can find one here, but I'm fairly confident that these changes to fleet size and route composition will have a positive impact on the environment.

More studies ahead

The Federal Aviation Administration is getting into the act too. That government agency has unveiled a plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. aviation industry with an initiative that calls for more and in-depth scientific studies, air traffic improvements designed to reduce fuel burn, a serious look at alternative fuels and aircraft technology, and market-based measures like tax incentives, emissions trading and carbon offsets.

Though they often are cast as the bad guys, U.S. airlines are already producing less greenhouse gas, even though they have been flying at record levels over the past several years, according to a recent report in USA Today.

The Environmental Protection Agency, the government agency that watches over such things, reported a 13 percent decline in aircraft emissions in spite of an 18 percent increase in air miles flown.

Making a difference

In a very unscientific way, we can conclude that aircraft manufacturers, the airlines, environmentalists, lawmakers, travelers and the government are getting the message and slowly making a difference. The call to action on this important issue is fragmented, especially in the U.S., but the effort is no longer viewed as a fringe movement.

How can businesses and the travelers who hit the road for them contribute to the effort? Are more companies turning seriously green-conscious, or is it merely lip service in the form of vague language from corporate marketing departments?

After all, there's not a lot of hardcore detail available, especially when it comes to the actual impact of air flights, so how can we be sure that taking Flight X instead of Flight Y will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by a quantifiable "Z"?

Green Hotel Association

Let's consider hotels, where quantifying the impact of corporate social responsibility seems more straight-forward. According to the Green Hotel Association, a Houston-based trade group that encourages environmental awareness in the hospitality industry, there is an ever-increasing recognition of the need for change, especially among younger business travelers.

The Deloitte Tourism, Hospitality & Leisure group, seeking to quantify the demand for ecologically-aware lodging choices, quizzed business travelers and found that 34 percent make a point of seeking out hotels that are environmentally friendly. Thirty-eight percent say they have researched green lodging facilities.

As further proof that green concerns have made it to travelers' agendas, nearly seven out of 10 business travelers surveyed by Deloitte said they always turn off the lights when they leave the hotel room, and 31 percent adjust the heat or air conditioner.

Getting the message

Hotels are getting the message too. The 51-property Fairmont Hotel chain recently launched Eco-Meet, a program that gives meeting planners and participants options like putting recycling bins in the meeting rooms, using energy-efficient bulbs, real china and cutlery instead of disposables, and white boards in place of flip carts.

At the Fairmont Web site, a downloadable PDF details how Fairmont handles environmental issues like waste and water management, air quality and energy efficiency, and guides meeting planners in making eco-conscious decisions.

The Green Meeting Industry Council (www.greenmeetings.info) based in Portland, Ore., is one of several trade organizations whose emphasis is on improving the environmental performance of meetings and events.

Meeting Professionals International members voted to add environmental sustainability clauses to venue and hotel contracts.

Green rental cars

Are rental cars going green? In the past year, both Avis and Budget increased their fuel-efficient inventory. Now nearly half of their combined fleet -- about 187,500 vehicles -- is fuel-efficient.

Enterprise owns 3,000 hybrid vehicles and plans to add 1,500 Toyota Priuses to the mix this fall.

Hertz has about 3,500 hybrids in its U.S. "Green Collection" fleet.

In an innovative move, the mayor of San Francisco in conjunction with the San Francisco International Airport Commission agreed to offer financial incentives to airport-based rental car agencies that guarantee the availability of fuel-efficient rental vehicles. Participating companies will submit details of their verified green vehicle transactions at the end of the calendar year and, if qualified, they will receive a 20 percent reduction in the concession fee owed to the airport.

As measurement tools become more sophisticated, making informed "green travel" choices will become easier. Galileo, a major provider of Global Reservation Systems for travel agencies, recently released a customer tool that helps measure the carbon emissions of flights.

Some global travel management companies, especially those with clients in Europe where train travel is swift and efficient, help travelers compare the environmental cost of air, car and rail travel so they can make greener choices.

It all sounds so complicated, doesn't it? One more task to load onto the traveler's already burdened shoulders. But finding ways to travel smarter and limit the environmental impact of each trip need not be full of twists and turns.

Sustainability is a journey, and the first step is simple awareness, with an ultimate goal of reducing, not just offsetting, carbon emissions.

Betty Stark is a Madison travel industry consultant and business travel writer with 25 years' experience.