Carbon insetting

Cutting emissions within a company's own travel supply chain rather than offsetting them elsewhere. This means directly reducing the footprint of the trips themselves — for example by using sustainable aviation fuel or favouring lower-emission suppliers — instead of funding unrelated external projects. Companies increasingly favour insetting alongside offsetting as a way to show genuine emissions reduction rather than compensation.

In corporate travel, insetting typically involves investments or choices that reduce emissions directly within the travel value chain. Examples include paying for sustainable aviation fuel through airline programmes, choosing hotels that use renewable energy, using electric vehicles for ground transport and partnering with suppliers to improve their environmental performance. Because the reductions happen within the company's own supply chain, they are generally considered more credible than external offsets. The concept is borrowed from sustainability practice in other industries, such as food and agriculture, where companies invest in lower-emission practices among their own suppliers.

Insetting is more complex than offsetting. It requires working closely with suppliers, obtaining reliable data about the impact of each measure and ensuring that reductions are properly accounted for and not claimed twice. Standards and accounting methods for insetting are still evolving, particularly for SAF certificates. Nevertheless, many companies see it as a way to support real change in the travel industry, rather than simply compensating for their own emissions. Companies also need clear internal rules on how the costs of insetting are allocated between departments.

Tumodo helps companies build the data foundation needed for insetting and other emissions reduction strategies. The Reports section provides carbon footprint analytics for any selected period, showing where emissions come from by type of travel. Companies can then use travel policies to steer bookings towards lower-emission options — such as rail across Europe, direct flights and sensible cabin rules — and track the results over time. Tumodo also recommends practices such as travelling by train where possible and choosing energy-efficient hotels.