Sustainability/Environment

There is a growing consensus among corporate leaders that taking environmentally sensitive action in response to concern about climate change is a responsible business approach.  Those companies are shaping market plans to address these concerns as expressed by their customers.

At Sabre Holdings®, we believe that travel is transformative and can shift a traveler’s perspective to affect the vitality of communities, places and people.  We believe that travel is an agent for positive change; together we can assure responsible and sustainable travel options for generations to come.

Our commitment to Environmental Awareness & Sustainability

Sabre® is committed to minimizing the environmental impact of our global business operations and to promoting sustainable business practices in travel and tourism. We connect people with the world’s greatest travel possibilities and are implementing sustainability initiatives that:

• Measure and reduce our own environmental footprint
• Promote environmentally responsible and sustainable business practices in travel
• Offer our customers products and services that will help them promote sustainable travel

We understand the importance of minimizing our effects on the environment.  In encouraging this philosophy, we were one of the first companies in any industry to design and build a “certified green” (LEED) campus as our corporate headquarters.  We’ve incorporated several energy and water conservation practices, including the use of natural lighting, low-energy fluorescent lighting, low- or no-water restroom appliances, and low-water, heat-tolerant native outdoor landscaping.

For more about our environmental initiatives and eco-friendly headquarters campus, read page 4 of our Corporate Social Responsibility Annual Report.

The culture of sustainability is also ingrained in our people and communities.  For many years, we have used our corporate social responsibility (CSR) platform to focus on the environment in three key areas:

• Recycling: Since 2002, we have recycled over 600 tons (400 pounds per person) of paper, glass, metal and plastic, and we continue to focus on identifying recycling and waste management opportunities
  
  
• Volunteerism: We provide opportunities for our 9,000 employees to volunteer time to help improve their local communities.  In 2008, our Give Time Together campaign sponsored 146 events with 2,594 total volunteers in 25 countries.
  
  
• Employee Involvement: We understand that providing education, awareness, tools and processes that protect the environment enable our employees to pursue personal commitments of protection and conservation.

Two of our signature environmental offerings include Travelocity’s® GoZero! program and lastminute.com’s CarbonWise™ program. GoZero, part of Travelocity’s Travel for Good initiative, provides donations for planting native trees with The Conservation Fund, while CarbonWise provides contributions to fully certified renewable energy projects.

Examples of Sabre Products and Services that promote Sustainable Travel and Tourism

• GetThere® recently launched GetThere Green, a set of enhancements that encourage the implementation of sustainability policies into managed online travel programs, including tools that help educate business travelers on carbon emissions.  GetThere earned a commendation for this set of enhancements from the UK’s Institute of Travel Management in October 2007.
  
  
• Sabre Airline Solutions® experts consult with airlines around the world on fuel savings engagements.  Every gallon of fuel we save our clients keeps 9.09 kilos (20 pounds) of carbon dioxide from being released into the atmosphere.  We can help an airline achieve two-to-three percent in fuel consumption savings by tapping into operational efficiencies in flight planning, load planning, fleet deployment, and more to optimize fuel consumption. Specifically, Airline Solutions® Dispatch Manager optimizes flight planning based on Variable Cost Index and takes into account current and forecast winds as well as specific aircraft performance data.  This solution has helped a growing airline in India save an average of 500 kilos (161 gallons) of jet fuel per flight.