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Business Travel GHG Emissions

Business Travel GHG Emissions

Date: 03 Feb 2022

SEAI release Business Travel Input Spreadsheet

SEAI has released the Business Travel Data Input Spreadsheet which can be found below and from the Downloads section of the M&R Supports web page.
 

Business Travel Reporting Obligations

The 2021 Climate Action Plan  sets out a requirement for the public sector to report GHG emissions data to SEAI. This includes emissions that fall within the scope of the 51% by 2030 GHG reduction target and emissions related to business travel.

While the energy consumption and GHG emissions associated with business travel are not within the scope of the 2030 public sector  targets, transport is a significant source of GHG emissions in Ireland and emissions from business travel represent a significant proportion of local authorities wider carbon footprints. Reducing emissions from business travel will contribute to reducing Ireland’s overall emissions reduction targets, and each local authority can influence these emissions.
 
Business travel occurs when people travel from one place of work to another place of work as part of their work duties. This includes travel to a place that is not a normal place of work but does not include travel to and from a person’s normal place of work, i.e. commuting.

The following are also considered to be business travel reportable by relevant public bodies:
 
  • Business travel by agency staff, where that travel is paid for / reimbursed by the public body.
  • Business travel by elected public representatives, where that travel is paid for / reimbursed by the public body.
  • Business travel by a person that is employed by a public body other than the reporting public body, but for which the reporting public body is also reporting. 
 
Additional information on what constitutes business travel is available from the Revenue website
 

Reporting Obligations

All public bodies must report annual data on business travel to SEAI for the years 2021 onwards. For reporting purposes, SEAI has defined three categories of business travel:
 
  • Private road vehicle
  • Commercial flights
  • Commercial and public transport
 
 The following timeline applies for the reporting of data for business travel:
 
  • In 2022 public bodies must report data for travel by private road vehicles and commercial flights for the year 2021.
  • In 2022 public bodies are also encouraged to report data for travel by commercial and public transport for the year 2021.
  • From 2023 onwards, public bodies must report data for all three categories of business travel for all years from 2021 onwards.
  • Public bodies may also report data for all three categories of business travel for years prior to 2021 but this is optional.
 
Category Reporting in 2022 
(aka 2021 reporting cycle)		 Reporting in 2023 onwards
(2022 reporting cycle onwards)
Private road vehicle Must report data for 2021 Optional for pre-2021 Must report data for 2021 onwards Optional for pre-2021
Commercial flights Must report data for 2021 Optional for pre-2021 Must report data for 2021 onwards Optional for pre-2021
Commercial & public transport Mandatory for 2021 Optional for pre-2021 Must report data for 2021 onwards Optional for pre-2021


How to Report  

For 2022, public bodies should use SEAI’s M&R-2030 Business Travel spreadsheet-based reporting template.

SEAI have also produced a guidange note which provides more detail on reporting requirements and procedures: M&R-2030 Framework M&R-2030 Methodology Guidance 28 January 2022 (Ref: 469-22X0012 R00). Any queries on reporting business travel that are unanswered in the guidance document can be sent to the M&R Helpdesk at mandr@seai.ie 

The completed spreadsheet must be submitted to mandr@seai.ie by 5pm on Friday 29 April 2022
 
From 2023 onwards, public bodies will be able to report data for business travel through the online M&R system. Data previously reported to SEAI via spreadsheet will be migrated to the online system by SEAI