This interview is the first in our new interview series, comundo conversations. We'll be talking to someone who works in the world of sustainability each month, and sharing the challenges they experience, their thoughts for the future and what drives them – and the companies they work for.

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We sat down with Christian Møller-Holst, CEO and co-founder of Goodwings, to learn more about what he does, why he does it and what challenges he – and Goodwings – is facing.  Why? Well, a travel management tool in the sustainability space raises a lot of questions – initially, at least. But with 85% of global companies yet to set targets to reduce corporate travel emissions, it’s a service sorely needed. 

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Let’s dig in. 

Tell us a bit about who you are and what you do.

My name is Christian Møller-Holst and I’m the CEO and founder of Goodwings. What we offer is travel booking, travel management and sustainability reporting software, all in one tool.  

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We want to make it as easy as possible to reduce travel emissions.

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So with Goodwings, you get access to a full travel management platform where you can book anything, like flights, hotels, cars, trains, etc. What sets us apart, I think, are the sustainability features, like calculating your travel emissions automatically, sorting booking options by CO2 emissions and our smart AI-travel tools that can help you build a travel itinerary and make suggestions based on your travel habits. 

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We want to make it as easy as possible to reduce travel emissions – without any extra cost. I think that’s the only way we’re going to change the impact of business travel. 

What inspired you to found Goodwings?

Well, today, every company in every industry needs to change, transition and decarbonise. And that includes travel. Travel is one of those industries that for whatever reason, hasn’t really changed. It’s not moving forward in any way. It’s just a very conservative, business-as-usual kind of thing, and we wanted to change that. 

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There is a huge demand from businesses to travel more responsibly, and if it doesn’t come with extra cost and inconvenience, then most business travellers would be willing to take the greener option.

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Every company in every industry needs to change, transition and decarbonise.

So we saw a huge opportunity in providing that solution. But it meant we had to reinvent the entire business model from being very transactional where we make money from the bookings, to being subscription-based and then finding a way of creating a sustainable business model in that. 

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You mentioned the demand; is that something you’ve seen spike in recent years?

Yes. The big demand driver now is compliance with the new EU legislation, CSRD. So, when we talk to potential clients, we explain how we help measure their emissions, provide reporting in Excel sheets and nice certificates, and so on, but we also help you reduce your emissions. Because that’s also part of the directive, which is something very few companies are actually aware of. It’s not just about presenting emission data; it’s about presenting plans on how you will reduce going forward. 

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How do you help companies reduce their emissions?

Well, several features in our AI tool encourage alternative routes and greener options for travel, as well as sustainable options on the ground, like zero-emission taxi services, scooter options, vegan restaurants close to your hotel, etc. 

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But more importantly, we invest in sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). Plant-based jet fuel reduces emissions by 80% and its use is approved by SBTi. To make sure the benefit of this is tangible for our clients, we’ve built an end-to-end traceable solution so you can see who produced the fuel and which airline received and used it. Once it’s used, you get a certificate with a QR code that allows you to see this entire journey, and of course, use in your reporting. 

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What's the biggest hurdle you face as a company?

I think it’s a lack of understanding. Understanding that a solution like this exists, that SAF is something they can take advantage of and that it’ll help them with their overall goals and compliance with regulations. But also there’s an understandable fear of being accused of greenwashing. That what was good enough then isn’t now. 

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There is a pressing need to educate the general population and business community about all of this because they don’t know where to start. Climate science is changing so rapidly, so whatever solution was widely accepted last year has a new study out this year that says actually, it’s not so great. 

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But to work in or be part of this sustainability industry, especially when it comes to travel, you have to be quite ballsy and take the first step – while also taking responsibility and changing with the times, if and when it’s needed. 

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Climate science is changing so rapidly, so whatever solution was widely accepted last year has a new study out this year that says actually, it’s not so great.

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There is very little courage. We work quite closely with customers and tell them that someone has to stand up and demonstrate to other companies that this is possible, that you can use AI to reduce your travel emissions, and that you can use SAF, approved by the Danish government to decarbonise aviation, to reduce them even more, and finally, that this is a SBTi approved method of reaching goals and legislative compliance. 

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Who do you usually talk to in companies? 

We used to primarily talk to ESG and sustainability professionals, but they tend not to have the budget or get approval from above. Which says a lot. While there’s growing recognition that companies need to do more in the sustainability area, there’s still some hesitancy to give the person responsible the means through which they can help and contribute to the company’s ESG profile. 

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The card holder, typically C-level, understands 10th night for free on booking.com or whatever, but they don’t understand SAF and EU directives.

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This links back to the lack of understanding we talked about. If everyone knew more about what needs to be done and how you could do it, you wouldn’t see that last-minute budget refusal.

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The card holder, typically C-level, understands 10th night for free on booking.com or whatever, but they don’t understand SAF and EU directives. And their time is so limited, they just don’t have the bandwidth to sit on the full pitch call, or to dig deep into the science. Which, you know, is fair enough. It’s part of the reason so many companies are still reliant on planting trees or other carbon compensation projects. 

‍Do you think that things are starting to change and that the C-suite are becoming more open and interested in solutions like yours?

It varies from person to person. But it has to be bite-sized – you have to spoon feed it and reduce complexity. There’s very little time available or resources to fully understand the opportunity we provide. 

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ESG and sustainability are basically like HR was 20 years ago.

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ESG and sustainability are basically like HR was 20 years ago. There are only a few companies that truly have a sense of responsibility built in at the core. For most, it’s maybe not an afterthought, but certainly not something front and centre of C-suite minds. But to have that genuine comprehension of the urgency and the willingness to invest in solutions, from both the leadership team and board, that will probably come with the next generation. And that’s why, again, we need to educate and raise awareness with this generation. We need to educate the business leaders of tomorrow with the new mindset, and I don’t think that’s happening at business schools. 

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What do you think we’ll see in the near future?

I think we’ll see more and more companies creating decarbonisation features, but building them into more conventional corporate attractive must-have tools. They’ll effectively be the Trojan horse. The tool will be sold as X as the hook, but once the client is hooked, they’ll be sold on the features. And, when they start using it, they’ll realise the ease and value of it. 

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I also think we’ll soon see the internalisation of emission management. So we’ll see a new carbon tax, or that the EU is pushing companies to internalise their externalities. Like the polluter pays principle, for example. It’s a great decision for companies to start the journey now and be ahead of the game – and ahead of the competition. Because it will improve your profitability. Maybe not today, but soon. 

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Think your employee travel could use a touch of the Goodwings magic? Get a free trial over at goodwings.com. 

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