GBT joins the United Nations Global Compact to further support the UN’s universal goals and guiding principles

GBT commits to GBTA’s Project ICARUS to promote sustainability across the global travel and meetings industries

New York, NY, January 19, 2016 – American Express Global Business Travel “GBT” proudly announced today that it is extending its commitment to corporate social responsibility through two initiatives – the United Nations Global Compact and the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA)’s Project ICARUS. These initiatives will help guide its corporate social responsibility activities across its business.

With a focus on collaboration and innovation, the UN Global Compact encourages companies to support UN goals by aligning their strategies and daily operations with universal principles on human rights, labor, the environment and anti-corruption. Through its commitment, GBT and its 12,000 employees across the globe will support and advocate the UN Global Compact’s guiding ten principles as part of its company strategy, culture and day-to-day operations worldwide. With a deep understanding and commitment to transparency, GBT will also detail its efforts to implement these ten principles by submitting an annual Communication on Progress (COP) within one year of joining, and annually thereafter. Progress will also be highlighted in GBT’s second annual CSR report to be published in 2016.

The GBTA Foundation’s Project ICARUS is a highly regarded Corporate Sustainability/Social Responsibility program across the business travel and meetings & events industry. Led by national and international travel buyers, managers and their suppliers, the project helps companies integrate sustainability in managing, running and supplying travel and meetings programs.

Through both initiatives, GBT will work to implement sustainable initiatives across business travel and meetings products and services. These efforts will include the publication of its Supplier Sustainability Shared Values and Supplier Diversity Commitments, both of which reaffirm GBT’s commitment to implementing responsible and ethical business practices across its entire supply chain.

“We are excited to work with the UN Global Compact and GBTA’s Project ICARUS as we extend our commitment to generating greater sustainability across the travel industry,” said JoAnne Kruse, Chief Human Resources Officer, American Express Global Business Travel. “As a leading travel management company, corporate social responsibility is ingrained in our DNA. We understand and recognize the importance of exercising the highest standards of ethical and transparent business practices to bring greater value to our customers, suppliers and the global travel ecosystem. By incorporating the UN Global Compact principles into our strategy, policies and culture and striving to achieve Gold Medal recognition as part of GBTA’s Project ICARUS, we look forward to setting a leading example for how companies can create sustainable communities across the globe.”

“American Express Global Business Travel is a key player in the global travel industry,” said Bernard Harrop, Head of Sustainability, Project ICARUS, GBTA Foundation “Now more than ever before, we are seeing a greater number of companies prioritize and build sustainability and corporate responsibility into their programs as they drive their businesses forward and shape the world around them. We are pleased that American Express Global Business Travel is committed to the goals and objectives of Project ICARUS and supports best practices that drive corporate sustainability.”

For more information on the UN Global Compact, visit https://www.unglobalcompact.org/.

 

 About American Express Global Business Travel

American Express Global Business Travel enables corporations and empowers business travelers with insights, connections and exceptional customer service on a global scale. Through technology and information, American Express Global Business Travel provides leading travel solutions, integrated consulting services, proprietary research, and end-to-end meetings and events capabilities. These innovative offerings enable clients to optimize the return on their travel and meetings investments.

American Express Global Business Travel has operations and network partners in nearly 140 countries worldwide with approximately 12,000 employees. American Express Global Business Travel ranked first among corporate travel providers in the 2015 Corporate Travel 100 (“CT100”), an annual listing compiled by Business Travel News which ranks companies with the largest volume of U.S. air bookings. Learn more about how American Express Global Business Travel connects the world at amexglobalbusinesstravel.com and twitter.com/amexgbt.

American Express Global Business Travel (“GBT”) is a joint venture that is not wholly-owned by American Express Company or any of its subsidiaries (“American Express”). “American Express Global Business Travel”, “American Express” and the American Express logo are trademarks of American Express, and are used under limited license.

About The United Nations Global Compact

The United Nations Global Compact is a call to companies everywhere to voluntarily align their operations and strategies with ten universally accepted principles in the areas of human rights, labour, environment and anti-corruption, and to take actions in support of UN goals, including the Millennium Development Goals. Endorsed by chief executives, the UN Global Compact is a leadership platform for the development, implementation, and disclosure of responsible corporate policies and practices. Launched in 2000, it is largest corporate responsibility initiative in the world – with over 8,000 signatories based in more than 135 countries. For more information: www.unglobalcompact.org

 About GBTA’s Project ICARUS

Project ICARUS, a GBTA Foundation initiative, is the most widely recognized and respected Corporate Sustainability/Corporate Social Responsibility program within the global business travel and meeting industry. This is a project led by and targeted primarily at national and international travel buyers/managers and their suppliers/intermediaries, who wish to integrate sustainability into the way they manage, run and supply travel and meetings programs.

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