Use the 'Business travel optimisation' scenario model under 'Reduce emissions' to forecast the impact of switching part, or all, of your business travel from one travel mode (e.g., flights) to another (e.g., train). Business travel can be a significant contributor to your organisation’s Scope 3 emissions. By shifting to lower-emission travel types, you can:
Reduce business travel–related emissions substantially.
Compare the climate impact with the associated financial cost or savings.
Evaluate trade-offs between travel needs, costs, and emissions.
How does the 'Business travel optimisation' scenario work?
This scenario simulates the carbon and financial impact of replacing one type of business travel with another, such as the impact of replacing flights with train travel or car travel with flights. The scenario uses your uploaded Business travel data (using the calculation methods 'Distance' or 'Origin and destination') and applies default emission factors or customisable inputs to forecast the climate and cost implications of such a transition.
Emissions are calculated by multiplying the forecasted distance travelled for each mode by the respective emission factor. The scenario first uses your company’s reported emissions and total travel distance to calculate an emission factor (EF) for each travel type. If no company-specific data is available for a given mode, it defaults to the mean EU-based conversion factors.
These default conversion factors represent typical values across available sources, although variation exists (particularly for flights, where distance plays a major role). If company-specific data is available, defaults can be overridden.
For modelling purposes, we assume that 100% of the switch (based on your chosen replacement ratio) occurs in the base year. All cost and carbon impacts are then reflected from the beginning of the following year.
'Business travel optimisation' filters
You can adjust the scenario filters to reflect your specific assumptions. Once applied, the scenario calculates new emissions and costs, which you can save and revisit later.
Input | Description |
Base year | The reference year for your calculations |
Flight distance growth rate (%) | Expected annual change in flight distance travelled |
Train distance growth rate (%) | Expected annual change in train distance travelled |
Car distance growth rate (%) | Expected annual change in car distance travelled |
Travel type to replace | The current travel type (e.g., flight, train, car) |
New travel type | The alternative travel type to switch to |
Ratio to replace (%) | Percentage of distance from the old travel type to shift to the new one |
Flight travel cost per km | Cost per kilometre for flights |
Train travel cost per km | Cost per kilometre for trains |
Car travel cost per km | Cost per kilometre for cars |
CAPEX | One-off capital expenditure required |
Revenue difference | Change in yearly revenue expected after switching |
OPEX difference | Expected yearly operational cost difference |
WACC | Weighted average cost of capital for discounting cashflows |
Project duration | Time horizon for your scenario in years |
Include Terminal Value | Whether to calculate value beyond the project duration |
Perpetual growth rate | Long-term growth rate for terminal value calculations |
What insights can I get from the 'Business Travel Optimisation' scenario?
Once your filters are applied, you’ll see forecasted insights for both emissions and financial impact.
Metric | What it shows | Why it matters |
Distance forecast before action | Projected distance for each travel type in the base case | See how travel patterns would look in your BAU scenario |
Distance forecast after action | New projected distance for each travel type | See how travel patterns shift across modes |
Distance deltas | How much travel distance is replaced by mode | Understand the magnitude of the behavioural shift |
Travel costs before change | Cost of travel with current setup | Establish baseline financial footprint |
Travel costs after change | Cost of travel after switching | Assess new financial commitment |
Total change in costs | Change in total costs (including OPEX) | Quantify savings or additional expenses |
Emissions forecast before change (kgCO₂e) | Baseline footprint of flights, cars, and trains | Benchmark current travel impact |
Emissions forecast after change (kgCO₂e) | Projected footprint after switching | Measure reduction potential |
Emissions delta (kgCO2e) | Emissions differences for each travel type | Understand the magnitude of the behavioural shift |
Total change in emissions | Difference between before and after | Quantify the climate benefit of the initiative |
Discounted cash flow | Cash flows adjusted for time and risk | Compare projects on a present-value basis |
Terminal value | Long-term value beyond the scenario horizon | Capture enduring financial impact |
NPV | Net present value of all cashflows | Determine whether initiative creates financial value |
Payback (years) | Time until cumulative discounted cashflows turn positive | Assess how quickly investment pays off |
Note: Not every travel change leads to cost savings. Sometimes shifting to more sustainable travel types (e.g., from flights to trains) may increase short-term costs while reducing emissions. The value of this scenario lies in making both the climate and financial implications transparent, so you can build a strong, evidence-based case for change.