Business Travel

Pearson is a global business; our people often need to travel to visit clients, suppliers or between our offices worldwide. Travel has an environmental impact and we set a challenging target to achieve a per employee reduction in air travel by the end of 2006 based on 2003 figures. The 2003 figures were artificially low due to a moratorium on air travel in parts of our US businesses that year. We have achieved progress on our target:

Progress on business travel targets

	Business travel	2003	2004	% change 05-04
	miles	miles	miles	% change
Air	100,385,586	120,653,662	125,533,049	4.04%
Air per employee	3,866	4,305	4,068	-5.50%
Rail	562,830	970,503	4,424,561	355.90%
Road	44,712,459	43,725,604	42,993,988	-1.67
UK and US Road	35,714,859	36,764,508	32,814,041	-10.75%
Total	145,660,875	165,349,769	172,951,598	4.60%

We have achieved this through a range of programmes including:

• Promoting the use of alternatives to business travel such as tele-conferencing and video-conferencing.
• Promoting the use of rail over air travel where possible.

Alternatives to travel such as video and tele-conferencing are one way of containing usage. We monitor how much we use the equipment in order to assess whether there is a link between increased telephone and video conferencing and a reduction in business travel. However, we believe that the reported data significantly under reports the actual levels of usage.

Alternatives to travel

Alternatives to travel	2003 hours	2004 hours	2005 hours
Tele-conferencing	131,059	95,727	67,002
Video-conferencing	2,758	7,010	5,261

Another strategy to reduce air travel is to promote rail as an alternative to air where this is practical and viable. Through promotion and improved data collection, we can report an increase in rail travel in the US of over 300%. However, due to limited coverage of the rail network in the US, further increase in this figure may be difficult to achieve. In addition, in excess of 75% of all business travel miles made within the UK are by rail.

The UK and US Environment and Health and Safety Working Groups regularly take advantage of tele-conferencing facilities.

Air Travel - Indirect Impacts

Pearson is a significant publisher of travel and guide books, predominantly through its Rough Guides imprints. During 2005, Rough Guides has been debating its responsibilities with regard to climate change.

The company has set the following targets:

• To develop a stance on climate change that extends to its own impacts
• To seek to work with Lonely Planet, a competitor, to build an agreed approach

Travel by road

By the end of 2006 our target is to reduce CO2 emissions from business car travel in the UK and US by 5% compared to 2003.

We reduced our absolute miles travelled by company car by in excess of 10%. In the UK, we also worked with our specialist fleet lease provider to manage down the CO2 emission profile for the UK fleet. Together, these initiatives have allowed us to significantly exceed our target one year early. We will review to set a stretch target during 2006.

Employee travel

Employee travel to work was reviewed through our audit for the first time in 2004.

Travel to Work

Travel to Work	2004	2005	% change
Facilities for cyclists	46	60	30.5%
Car Sharing schemes	30	36	20%
Encourage use of public transport	56	63	12.5%
Provide a mini bus	13	16	23%

Introducing a focus on reporting on employee travel has helped stimulate increased interest and improved practice across the Group. This is reflected in the increase in schemes reported above. In addition, two comprehensive Green Travel Plans were introduced this year One Southwark Bridge and our Rugby Distribution Centre. We are looking to make continued progress in this area next year.

Case Study Phoenix, Arizona Pearson sites supports and participates in the Maricopa County Trip Reduction Program (TRP). The purpose of the TRP is to encourage the regular, frequent use of alternate transportation and Pearson, as part of that program provides free bus cards and encourages carpooling.