As the collective European voice of the business travel community, BT4Europe welcomes the final adoption of CountEmissionsEU, a single, EU-wide methodology for calculating greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from transport.
On 28 April 2026, the European Parliament gave its final approval at second reading, completing the legislative process.
The European Union is writing history for travel and transport. Up until now, Europe has been faced with a myriad of different methods, often hard to compare, verify, or trust. One single methodology will make emissions calculations comparable across all modes of transportation. That’s good for consumers, for business, and for the planet.
With formal approval now secured, the focus shifts to implementation — ensuring the new standard delivers in practice across the Single Market.
This milestone 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.
BT4Europe has long called for a harmonised European approach to emission reporting — simple, transparent and comparable across all modes. The new universal standard will provide a common, transparent standard for measuring and reporting GHG emissions across all modes of transportation.
While participation will be voluntary, any organisation 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, 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, we not only simplify compliance - we strengthen Europe’s competitiveness and demonstrate that sustainability and economic performance can go hand in hand.”
BT4Europe will support the European Commission throughout implementation and contribute to ongoing work to ensure that the new EU tool is simple, inclusive, and practical.
As an independent European association, we will work closely with the European Commission, Parliament and Member States to ensure that CountEmissionsEU becomes a trusted and practical tool for all business travel stakeholders — from travel managers and suppliers to European companies reporting under CSRD.
In line with its latest Sustainability Position Paper, BT4Europe will continue advocating for integration of transport emissions with other categories of business travel, including hospitality and events, to ensure a comprehensive view of corporate sustainability.
BT4Europe will continue to champion policies that make European business travel smarter, greener and more competitive — ensuring that Europe remains the global leader in sustainable corporate mobility.
BT4Europe and its members will continue to lead by example — using, developing, and integrating this major step forward into business travel practice across Europe.
With final approval now secured, the focus shifts to delivery. The Regulation will enter into force in the coming weeks, with implementation rolling out in phases — including a free EU calculation tool and common datasets — and full application expected by the end of the decade. The direction is clear: Europe is moving towards a single, trusted system for measuring transport emissions.
About BT4Europe
BT4Europe is the European Network of Business Travel Associations, representing national business travel bodies from across the continent. We advocate for policy solutions that support safe, efficient, and sustainable business travel in a unified Europe. www.bt4europe.com
Media Contact
Mark Watts, LP Brussels
+32474060185, markwatts@lpbrussels.com
