ICARUS News
Below are records of the latest news produced by ITM about Project ICARUS and any related issues.
Please note that some of the news and reports included here may be provided by third parties including suppliers in the business travel and meetings market. ITM can take no responsibility for the validity of information provided.
NEW WWF REPORT ON EXCESS GOVERNMENT FLYING
WWF is pleased to announce its new report entitled Excess Baggage: the case for reducing government flying, which launched today.
HEAD OF SUSTAINABILITY APPOINTMENT CONFIRMED FOR ICARUS
The Institute of Travel & Meetings UK & Ireland has today announced the appointment of Bernard Harrop, MD of IG Management, in the newly created role of Head of Sustainability in charge of Project ICARUS, the sustainability project created by ITM to provide a single point of information for the business travel industry. Harrop's role will be to broaden the scope of the project across the other Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) strands, being economic and social aspects.
SDC LAUNCHES SMARTER MOVES REPORT
The Sustainable Development Commission report, How Information Communications Technology can promote Sustainable Mobility, shows how ICT can make personal mobility more sustainable, reduce CO2 emissions, congestion and noise, as well as improve air quality, health, wellbeing and social cohesion.
ITM STARTS SEARCH FOR NEW ICARUS LEADERSHIP
The Institute of Travel & Meetings (ITM) UK & Ireland has today announced that it is about to issue a Request For Proposal (RFP) for a new "Head of Sustainability" to support the roll out of ICARUS across Europe as part of its appointment to manage NBTA Europe.
ITM APPROVES ICARUS ACCREDITATION FOR BT
The Institute of Travel & Meetings (ITM) announced today that it has issued Bronze ICARUS accreditation status to BT for commitment, measurement and targeted reduction of emissions from its business travel and meetings programme. The judges, members of the ICARUS Advisory Board, cited BT as having made great use of conferencing and collaboration tools to reduce the need for employees to travel.
ITM RELEASES WHITE PAPER ON ALTERNATIVES TO CARBON-OFFSETTING
The Institute of Travel & Meetings (ITM) announced today that it has released its latest addition to the ICARUS toolkit for buyers and suppliers of business travel and meetings services concerned with corporate social responsibility (CSR) aspects. The paper, entitled, "Alternatives to Off-setting" discusses the apportion of a shadow carbon price and the subsequent application of a total travel and meetings carbon cost to various off-setting alternatives.
ITM APPROVES ICARUS ACCREDITATION FOR SUSTAINABLE TRAVEL PROGRAMME TO FIRST SME
The Institute of Travel & Meetings (ITM) announced today that it has issued Bronze ICARUS accreditation status to its first SME buyer programme since the inception of the accreditation scheme in 2007. SAS UK & Ireland, the business analytics and software firm, was approved by the ITM ICARUS Advisory Board for demonstrating a robust measurement, targets and emissions reduction strategy. They join existing ICARUS accredited companies such as PricewaterhouseCoopers, Accenture and Barclays.
ITM ANNOUNCES ICARUS ENVIRONMENTAL AWARDS FOR 3RD YEAR
The Institute of Travel & Meetings (ITM) UK & Ireland has announced the winners of its ICARUS Environmental Supplier Awards for 2009/10. The awards, in their third year, were created by the association as part of their CSR project, ICARUS and have seen a number of companies carry off awards for creating solutions to assist travel buyers to reduce the environmental impact of their travel programmes.
ASSOCIATIONS TEST VIRTUAL WATER
Events industry association ‘Eventia' and the "Institute of Travel and Meetings" have today announced the results of their innovative experiment on the delegate experience of real events versus virtual events. The two associations, who recently signed an agreement to form a strategic partnership, joined together to run an educational event for their members on the benefits and applications of Second Life technology.
ACCENTURE RECEIVES ACCREDITATION FOR SUSTAINABLE TRAVEL PROGRAMME
The Institute of Travel & Meetings (ITM) announced today that it has issued its second Bronze ICARUS accreditation this year to Accenture for implementing robust CO2 reduction targets and processes across their travel and meetings programme.
THE GREEN BUSINESS AWARDS 2009
As an awards partner, ITM would like to invite you to enter the business travel category of The Green Business Awards 2009.
The Awards, nicknamed the "Green Globes" are undertaken by Management Today and ENDS. They seek out, measure and applaud the most innovative, ambitious and effective initiatives by UK organisations for achieving reduction of carbon emissions, environmental management and sustainability, and implementing smarter, greener, business best practice.
ITM GOES LIVE WITH ICARUS AWARDS 3RD YEAR RUNNING
The Institute of Travel & Meetings (ITM) UK & Ireland has announced the running of its environmental supplier awards programme for the 3rd consecutive year despite a continued focus on cost cutting by the travel & meetings community. The ICARUS Environmental Awards are designed to recognise leadership and innovation by the travel and meeting supplier community as part of the association's work through Project ICARUS, the global business travel and meetings industry's most renowned corporate responsibility project.
ITM BUILDS ON WWF-UK WORK TO FOCUS ON PERSONAL LOYALTY PROGRAMME TAXATION INEQUALITY
The Institute of Travel & Meetings (ITM) launched another new paper this week, for members and subscribers of ICARUS, which takes a look at the issue of Personal Loyalty Programmes, their impact and the tax treatment of these schemes. The paper identifies that Personal Loyalty Programmes, such as frequent flyer or frequent stay schemes, can undermine managed travel programmes. It also suggests that the current tax regime may discourage companies from trying to introduce similar schemes for travel avoidance.
ICARUS DUTY OF CARE - ADDITIONAL TOOLKIT
ICARUS has added an additional tool to its established Duty of Care Toolkit; a series of tools to assist those managing travel programmes. The toolkit is designed to help identify why, what and how to approach duty of care principles within business travel and meetings activity and provide guidance on how UK legislation in particular impacts corporate travel and meetings programmes. At present there is a growing awareness of how important health and safety management is to the success of organisations. How will you apply your organisation’s health and safety standards if you or your employees are working abroad? How will you manage the effects of a different working culture and environment?
BARCLAYS BECOMES FIRST BANK TO RECEIVE ACCREDITATION FOR SUSTAINABLE TRAVEL PROGRAMME
The Institute of Travel & Meetings (ITM) announced today that it has issued its second Bronze ICARUS accreditation, in just three months, to Barclays PLC for implementing robust CO2 reduction targets and processes across their travel and meetings programme.
The accreditation, established in 2007, is the second stage in the overall Project ICARUS Accreditation programme and requires evidence of set targets and processes in line with the ICARUS pledge to reduce emissions by 60% by 2050 from travel and meetings
PRICEWATERHOUSECOOPERS CASE STUDIES
PricewaterhouseCoopers are working to reduce CO2 emmisions caused by air travel. Air travel accounts for a growing percentage of PricewaterhouseCooper UK's carbon footprint. Their overall action plan is not to stop travelling but to reduce it.
ITM HAILS PWC AS INNOVATORS
The Institute of Travel & Meetings UK & Ireland (ITM) announced today that it has issued its first Bronze ICARUS accreditation to PricewaterhouseCoopers for implementing a robust CO2 reduction process across their travel and meetings programme.
The accreditation, established in 2007, is the second stage in the overall Project ICARUS Accreditation programme and requires evidence of set targets and processes in line with the ICARUS pledge to reduce emissions by 60% by 2050 from travel and meetings.
AVERY REPLACES PILCHER AS PROJECT ICARUS CHAIRMAN
ITM has announced today that Tony Pilcher, ex head of business travel management at HSBC and director of Pilcher Associates Limited, is stepping down as Project ICARUS chairman and Mark Avery, immediate past chairman of ITM, will be taking up the post with immediate effect.
Avery, head of business services for PricewaterhouseCoopers, takes over the position having instigated the project during his time as ITM chairman and as the lead in his company being the first to be accredited by ICARUS. He will be joining Jeremy Paxman on stage in his new role during a session dedicated to aviation and the environment during ITM's conference on 27th March.
PROJECT ICARUS UNDERGOES MAJOR REFURBISHMENT
ITM has announced the completion of a major programme to update each of the tools provided in the Environmental Toolkit as part of its CSR project, ICARUS. The refurbishment entails an overhaul of the toolkit with a fresh look at the information and tools buyers and suppliers need in today's business environment to reduce emissions. For the first time the toolkit also includes guidance on managing emissions from car usage, meetings and events and hotels, as well as user friendly information on radiative forcing, issues of measurement, off-setting and carbon neutrality.
ITM EVENT ADJUSTS FOCUS
The Institute of Travel & Meetings UK & Ireland (ITM) has altered the final session of its January 15th Focus Forum, entitled "ECO-nomics", to consider the synergies between cost reduction and emission reduction in light of the worsening economic situation.
ICARUS REWARDS SUPPLIER INNOVATIONS
The results of the 2nd annual ICARUS Environmental Awards were announced today. In addition to the seven supplier awards from 2007/8 the Project ICARUS advisory group, responsible for the Institute of Travel & Meetings's CSR project, created an eighth category - that of Best Corporate Team.
LEADING PROFESSIONAL SERVICES COMPANY SIGNS UP TO ICARUS
KPMG, one of the UK's leading providers of professional services including audit, tax, financial and risk advisory this week signed up to the ICARUS commitment. They join other major UK corporations, including the BBC, Carillion, Barclays and Inmarsat in support of the drive by the Institute of Travel & Meetings UK & Ireland (ITM), through Project ICARUS, to reduce emissions from corporate travel programmes by 60% by 2050 and to seek accreditation for proven emission reductions through ICARUS accreditation.
PROJECT ICARUS BRANCHES OUT
The Institute of Travel & Meetings (ITM) has announced that its lauded CSR programme, Project ICARUS , has moved to a stand-alone website to allow non-member subscribers for the first time. This includes access to members of the Danish Business Travel Association
PROJECT ICARUS WINS SUPPORT FROM WWF
ITM's Project ICARUS has won a major endorsement by the owners of the world's most famous environmental logo, the panda. The WWF UK have produced a major piece of research and developed a campaign to reduce aviation emissions and are promoting the ICARUS Toolkit and Accreditation schemes as the methodology to use.
INDUSTRY AFFAIRS UPDATE
ITM's Industry Affairs Group operates to create links with UK government and the European Commission/Parliament to ensure members are up to date with forthcoming legislation and have the chance to contribute to consultation. In addition, the association takes a representative stance on a number of issues when warranted. This Industry Affairs Update provides a detailed analysis of 5 key issues identified through our Paragon network - CRS De-Regulation, Single European Skies, Mobile Phone use on aircraft, Sky Marshalls and airport charges.
DOUBLE BOOST FOR ITM AS MP’s BACK ICARUS INITIATIVE
ITM has received a double boost for its Project ICARUS environmental initiative. More than 50 MPs backed an Early Day Motion (EDM) submitted to parliament at the end of December.
New legislation reveals unhealthy practices in business travel
Despite the progression of corporate manslaughter legislation through Parliament, many British companies are still exposing themselves to significant risk, according to new research from the Institute of Travel & Meetings (ITM)
Will Companies take Responsibility for Commuter Travel?
London – 10th July Changes in working practice are blurring the edges between commuter and business travel and this is leading companies to adopt more formal travel planning for both aspects of travel, according to new research by the Institute of Travel & Meetings (ITM).
ITM ICARUS Environmental Awards for Suppliers - Goes Live today
The ITM ICARUS Environmental Awards for suppliers are designed to recognise supplier innovation and leadership in environmental impact reduction.
ITM Launches Environmental Accreditation For Buyers
The Institute of Travel & Meetings (ITM) today unveiled the next phase of its Project ICARUS initiative with the news that travel buyers can now apply for accreditation for their carbon reduction initiatives.
