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This is the final article in our mini-series on ExpatRide’s journey from measurement to movement. After exploring why measurement matters and uncovering what our 2024 baseline revealed, we now arrive at the most important part: turning those insights into change.
From Understanding to Action
When we received our first full carbon footprint assessment, one message stood out clearly: the majority of our environmental impact is not created within the walls of our offices, but in the mobility decisions that surround us.
The data showed that 72.5% of our total emissions come from how clients use rental and leased cars, while 20.8% comes from the transportation services such as chauffeur, transfer, and bus services, which we purchase on the client’s behalf. Only about 7% of our footprint comes from our own internal operations.
This means that lowering our emissions is not something we do alone. Instead, it requires collaboration, education, and shared responsibility across clients, partners, and suppliers. Our role is not only to measure emissions and translate these insights into internal actions but also to help others make informed, more sustainable choices throughout the relocation journey.
With this understanding, we have identified three areas where we can create the greatest impact moving forward.
1 Helping clients make greener choices
Because the majority of our emissions stem from client mobility, the greatest potential lies in supporting clients to make greener choices. A single decision, such as selecting an electric vehicle instead of a traditional combustion engine, can drastically lower emissions over the course of an assignment. This is where our award-winning EcoRide program becomes essential. By prioritizing greener vehicle categories and recommending them as the default choice, sustainable mobility becomes straightforward and accessible. Our goal is to ensure that choosing a lower-emission option never feels complicated, but simply part of how mobility is done.
For example:
Sustainability should not feel complicated. It should feel intuitive, supported, and built into the way mobility is planned.
2 Working with our suppliers
Our suppliers are an essential part of this journey.
As we look to reduce emissions across our value chain, supplier collaboration becomes just as important as client engagement. Many already offer electric or hybrid fleets, while others are actively transitioning. To ensure we always have the most accurate and relevant options, we stay in close contact with our suppliers to track changes in their fleets, new sustainability initiatives, and local charging infrastructure developments. By consistently requesting transparency on sustainability efforts and by choosing electric and hybrid vehicles whenever mandated by our EcoRide Program, we signal to suppliers that the market is shifting. This kind of clear, predictable demand accelerates their transition and expands the availability of greener mobility options globally.
By aligning on data, expectations, and long-term goals, we can expand access to greener choices and accelerate this transition together.
3 Improving our own footprint
Even though our operational emissions represent a small share of our total footprint, they still matter. How we manage our own activities reflects our values and sets the standard for the broader reduction efforts we aim to support. We are committed to lowering the environmental impact of our internal operations.
Across our offices, we are already looking at several areas where we can operate more responsibly. This includes reviewing how we use energy, considering opportunities to optimize everyday processes, and exploring ways to make internal practices more efficient. We are building a work environment that supports smarter resource use and reduces unnecessary impact.
Another key part of this work is improving the quality and precision of our internal data. Accurate data enables accurate action. To support better reporting and stronger future reductions, we are implementing new CO₂-focused fields in our Customer Relations Module. These fields will help us capture more detailed information, such as the exact mileage from airport transfers, giving us a clearer picture of the emissions tied to our services. Previously, we relied on supplier or industry averages. While useful, averages often mask variations in actual trip lengths or vehicle types.
Small steps internally help set the tone for the broader changes we aim to support externally. By consistently improving how we track, understand, and manage our own impact, we reinforce the same ambition we encourage across our entire value chain.
Relating this to the Global Mobility Industry
Our findings reflect a reality that many relocation and mobility providers will soon confront: the majority of emissions do not come from direct operations but from the mobility services coordinated for clients. This does not mean that companies should step back or assume their influence is limited. On the contrary, it highlights the unique opportunity that RMCs and Global HR Leaders have to accelerate meaningful change. Because they sit at the intersection of clients, suppliers, and assignees, we are in a position to guide decisions, shape expectations, and make greener options more accessible.
While this is the final article in the series, it is only the beginning of our journey. The insights from our 2024 footprint give us direction, but it is our collective actions - across teams, partners, and clients, that will shape a more sustainable future for global mobility.
Image credits
1 Picture by Freepik on Freepik
2 Picture by **laddawanpunna on Freepik**
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