5 Corporate Relocation Trends to Keep an Eye On | Q4 2023

ESG Considerations in Corporate Relocation RFPs

Verdict: ↑ Trending Up ↑

Environmental Social Governance (ESG) is becoming commonplace in most corporate relocation RFPs. As organizations focus on sustainability and ethical practices, these factors play a pivotal role in their vendor selection. ESG compliance aligns with a company’s values, reflecting positively on its brand image.

Choosing corporate relocation services providers committed to these principles demonstrates a commitment to social and environmental responsibility, appealing to both employees and stakeholders. Organizations should seek out corporate relocation serivces providers who value committed action plans such as EcoVadis certifications and Science-Based Targets.

EcoVadis helps organizations manage ESG risk and compliance, meet corporate sustainability goals, and drive impact at scale by guiding the sustainability performance improvement of corporations and their supply chains.

Science-Based Targets help organizations lead the way to a zero-carbon economy, boost innovation and drive sustainable growth by setting ambitious, science-based emissions reduction targets. 

Air Shipments in Corporate Relocation

Verdict: ↓ Slightly Trending Down ↓

As detailed in our article, “ESG in Global Mobility: Turning the Tide on Air Shipments,” there are significant ESG advantages to reducing or eliminating air shipments. Air shipments have long been the go-to choice for international relocations and corporate moves due to their speed and efficiency. However, the environmental impact of air cargo emissions cannot be overlooked. As a greener alternative, sea container shipments present a compelling case for global mobility programs to transition towards more eco-friendly transportation modes.

To compare typical CO₂ emissions between modes of transport (measured in grams of CO₂ per metric ton of goods shipped per mile): flights emit 500 grams of CO₂/metric ton of cargo per kilometer of transportation. However, ships emit only between 10 to 40 grams of CO₂ per kilometer.

Communicate the difference in CO₂ emissions between air, road, and sea shipments. Your employees may self-select a more eco-friendly option (if feasible), sending fewer items in their air shipments or not utilizing them at all. Or, instead of an LDN air shipment container which has a weight capacity of 750 lbs, consider reducing this entitlement to a D air shipment container which has a weight capacity of approximately 500 lbs.

Implement programs such as Discard & Donate to reduce shipment sizes, thereby reducing organizational costs and CO₂ emissions. Consider offering a cash allowance in lieu of the air shipment, or eliminate the air shipment option altogether.

Inclusive Language in Employee Relocation Policies

Verdict: ↑ Trending Up ↑

As discussed during various regional relocation council meetings, including WiERC & CRC Chicago, corporations can have a large positive or negative impact on their employees by how their policy language is written. Writing a definition for family size, as an example, can have large downstream impacts if a family member feels excluded.

Here are some of the considerations employers should take into account when defining family size in their relocation policies:

• Is your definition for family size consistent across all HR policies?
• Is your relocation policy inclusive of same-sex relationships?
• Should dependent children be limited to 18-years-old and younger? Or should dependent children include those up to 21-years-old if they’re still attending school?
• Should your relocation policy include or exclude elderly dependents? If elderly dependents are included, this could have immigration complications.