Executives' carbon footprint: why the executive committee accounts for so much of the total

When a service company carries out its first Bilan Carbone®, there is a moment of surprise that occurs almost every time: air travel by the executive committee accounts for a disproportionate share of the total footprint. Not 1 or 2%, but 5 to 15% of the company's footprint, concentrated on a few people.

This is not a reproach; it is physics. A long-haul flight emits huge quantities of CO₂, and management roles structurally involve more international travel. But it is a fact that must be faced when discussing a reduction strategy.

1Why carbon footprint correlates with seniority

Take an SME with 200 employees and an executive committee of 8 people. If each member takes 2 European flights and 1 intercontinental flight a year, that represents around 24 tonnes of CO₂, equivalent to the annual footprint of 3 average French people, concentrated on business travel by 8 people.

Meanwhile, an office-based employee who drives 30 km every day emits around 1.5 tonnes a year commuting. Through flights alone, an executive committee member therefore emits around 3 tonnes a year, 2 times what that employee emits getting to work. This is a scale of impact we find in the vast majority of our engagements with service companies.

• An executive committee of 8 people (2 EU flights + 1 intercontinental flight each/year): ~24 tonnes CO₂
• 200 office-based employees (30 km/day by car): ~300 tonnes CO₂
• The executive committee = 4% of staff, but 5 to 15% of the total carbon footprint in service companies
• A Paris-New York return flight = 2 tonnes of CO₂, more than a year of daily car journeys

2Emissions by destination

To manage a travel policy, you need to know the actual carbon cost of each journey. These are the figures we use in our assessments, taken from the ADEME Base Empreinte and validated by our 120+ engagements.

• Paris-London: 0.15 tonnes by air versus 0.01 tonnes by Eurostar (a factor of at least 15). Eurostar is faster door to door
• Paris-Barcelona: 0.4 tonnes by air versus 0.01 tonnes by rail (a factor of at least 40). Comparable door-to-door journey times
• Paris-New York: 2 tonnes return. No land-based alternative. This is the entire annual carbon budget compatible with +2°C
• Paris-Singapore: 3.8 tonnes. 190% of the annual budget compatible with +2°C
• Paris-Sydney: 6 tonnes. 300% of the annual budget compatible with +2°C

3The credibility effect: why employees look to the top

Beyond tonnes of CO₂, there is an issue of internal credibility that can make or break a climate plan. Employees increasingly understand the scale of impacts. They see LinkedIn posts, read the press and do their own calculations.

Asking employees to sort their waste and turn down the heating while executives fly 10 times a year creates dissonance that undermines the credibility of the entire approach. This is not moralising; it is something we observe in practice: climate plans that engage teams are those in which management leads by example.

4Three practical ways to reduce the travel footprint

The 4-hour rule

For any journey feasible by train in less than 4 hours, flying is removed from the travel policy. Paris-Lyon (2h), Paris-Brussels (1h22), Paris-London (2h15), Paris-Bordeaux (2h04). For these journeys, flying offers no door-to-door time advantage and has 10 to 20 times the carbon impact.

The annual flight allowance

Each employee has an annual travel carbon budget. They are free to use it as they wish, but once it is exhausted, meetings take place by video. This encourages responsibility without imposing a ban and naturally prioritises travel with high added value.

Video calls by default

The most structural change is to reverse the default. Meeting in person is no longer the norm; it is an exception that needs justification. The pandemic showed that video calls work at scale. Companies applying this principle cut their travel by a factor of 2 to 3 without any measurable loss of productivity.

• The 4-hour rule: rail is mandatory for journeys under 4h. Zero cost, immediate reduction
• Annual carbon allowance: encourages each employee to take responsibility without imposing a ban
• Video calls by default: travel becomes the exception. Travel emissions divided by 2-3
• SNCF corporate contract: negotiable from modest volumes, often more advantageous than flying in actual journey time

5Key takeaways

The carbon footprint of business travel is concentrated at the top of the organisation chart. This is not inevitable; it is a major opportunity for emissions reduction and a signal of credibility for the whole climate approach.

• 5 to 15% of a service company's total footprint is often concentrated on air travel by the executive committee (4% of staff)
• A Paris-New York return flight = 2 tonnes of CO₂, the entire annual budget compatible with +2°C. Paris-Sydney = 6 tonnes
• The 4-hour rule (mandatory rail under 4h) and video calls by default are zero-cost measures that reduce this category by 30 to 50%
• Credibility is built from the top: climate plans that engage teams are those in which management leads by example
• A Bilan Carbone® quantifies the breakdown of travel by seniority precisely and helps manage reductions

Further resources

Frequently asked questions

1My executive committee flies frequently. Does this really matter in the footprint?

Yes. In service companies, air travel by the executive committee accounts for 5 to 15% of the total footprint. This is often more than office energy. A Bilan Carbone® gives you the exact breakdown.

2How can we introduce the 4-hour rule without alienating executives?

Start with the figures rather than a ban. Show the carbon cost per journey and the actual door-to-door time (often comparable by rail). Most executives adopt the rule when they see the data. After a few weeks, nobody asks to start flying from Paris to Lyon again.

3Is carbon offsetting for flights a solution?

It is a complement, rather than a substitute for reduction. Carbon neutrality through offsetting does not make emissions disappear from the atmosphere. The priority remains to reduce flights, then offset the unavoidable residual emissions.

4How much does a Bilan Carbone® cost for a service-sector SME?

As a broad estimate, €10,000 to €30,000 excl. VAT for a scopes 1-2-3 assessment, depending on complexity, starting at €3,000 excl. VAT for a very small organisation with a simple scope. Bpifrance's Diag Décarbon'Action funds 40% for SMEs with < 500 employees (company share €6,000 excl. VAT).

5Do employees working from home emit less?

Yes, significantly. Working from home is the most powerful travel reduction measure: one day of home working a week reduces travel emissions by 20%. It is particularly effective in rural areas, where there is no alternative to the car.

6How much do the wealthiest contribute to global emissions?

According to Oxfam's "Climate Equality" report published in 2023, the richest 1% of the world's population emit 16% of global emissions. For comparison, the carbon budget compatible with the Paris Agreement (+2 °C) is around 2 tCO2e per person per year, while an average French person emits around 8 tCO2e. The same concentration occurs in service companies: air travel by the executive committee, which represents around 4% of staff, often accounts for 5 to 15% of the total Bilan Carbone®.

7What can a company do about its executives' carbon footprint?

It can act on the travel policy, which accounts for most of the issue. The 4-hour rule removes flying for any journey feasible by train in less than 4 hours, such as Paris-Lyon, Paris-Brussels or Paris-London. An annual carbon allowance per employee encourages responsibility without imposing a ban, and video calls by default make travel an exception that requires justification. These zero-cost measures reduce the category by 30 to 50%. Management must lead by example, because a climate plan loses credibility if the executive committee continues flying on short journeys.

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