BT4Europe, the European network of business travel associations, welcomed a European Union agreement on emissions called CountEmissionsEU. It is a single, EU-wide methodology for calculating greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from transport.
Up until now, according to a BT4Europe statement, Europe has been faced with a myriad of different methods, often hard to compare, verify, or trust. One single methodology, said the statement, will make emissions calculations comparable across all modes of transportation. That’s good for consumers, for business, and for the planet, said the statement. The agreement still requires formal approval by the European Parliament and Council. This milestone, said the statement, “shows what Europe can achieve when competitiveness, sustainability and mobility are treated not as separate goals, but as mutually reinforcing pillars of a stronger European economy.”
The new universal standard will provide a common, transparent standard for measuring and reporting greenhouse gas emissions across all modes of transportation. While participation will be voluntary, any organization that chooses to calculate its emissions will be required to use this single methodology — making it, in practice, the default footprint standard for Europe’s transport sector.
Angela Lille, lead of BT4Europe’s sustainability working group, said: “CountEmissionsEU goes beyond a calculation method – it sets the essential foundation for transparent and comparable GHG emissions across transport modes.” By adopting a globally aligned ISO standard, she said, “it simplifies complexity, enhances European competitiveness, and enables seamless interoperability with corporate sustainability and regulatory reporting requirements — a true game changer for the travel industry.”
Patrick Diemer, chair of BT4Europe, added: “This agreement is proof that Europe can lead by example.” By aligning transport emission standards across the Single Market, he said, “we not only simplify compliance — we strengthen Europe’s competitiveness and demonstrate that sustainability and economic performance can go hand in hand.”
