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Sustainability ‘not niche’, says dnata Travel’s new Europe boss

Sustainability can’t be one person’s “pet project” but must be a priority across businesses, according to the incoming boss of dnata Travel UK and Europe.

Ailsa Pollard, who takes up her new role on November 1, compared the issue to e-commerce in the 1990s but believes it should now be a discussion “across every area of business”.

Speaking to Travel Weekly ahead of speaking at Abta’s Travel Convention next week, she said: “Sustainability isn’t just a niche segment for selling responsible holidays.

“We have to now be responsible throughout the whole business for future generations.”

Pollard said any moves travel companies are making on sustainability should be appreciated, and said dnata Travel had reduced paper use by 75%, adopted renewable energy and was phasing in electric vehicles for its on-the-road Gold Medal sales reps.

“Sustainability can be a buzz word that people pay lip service to,” she said. “But it’s an important, if complex, discussion.

“I want us to be doing this because it’s the right thing to be doing. I want to educate our people on the best practices around the office but also better practices in their own lives.”

And she acknowledged that having a strong sustainability policy made dnata Travel “more attractive” as an employer, as it was increasingly important to people.

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