Trip.com Group Achieves SBTi Net-Zero Validation, First in APAC Online Travel

For climate professionals, Trip.com Group's SBTi-validated net-zero commitment is a landmark for the online travel sector, which has historically struggled with Scope 3 emissions from flights and accommodations. As the first OTA in the Asia-Pacific region to achieve such dual validation, the company is now setting a credible, science-based pathway that could pressure competitors to follow suit and accelerate industry-wide decarbonization.

Trip.com Group's simultaneous announcement of a new global 20-day paid paternity leave policy and the release of its 2025 Sustainability Report marks a significant integration of human capital and environmental priorities under one strategic framework. The China-headquartered online travel agency, listed on NASDAQ under TCOM, is framing these moves within what it calls the "Friendly Four" framework: family-friendly, community-friendly, environmentally-friendly, and stakeholder-friendly. The centerpiece for workforce advocates is a global minimum 20-day paid paternity leave that supplements local statutory entitlements, positioning the company as a leader in family-friendly policy among Asian multinationals in the travel sector. Accompanying this is data from the company’s existing Childcare Subsidy program: in 2025 alone, 1,114 employees received the benefit, covering 1,132 children at a total cost of approximately US$1.6 million. Since its inception, the subsidy has supported over 2,038 families. Furthermore, the report highlights a 100% return-to-work rate for female employees following maternity leave during the reporting period, a powerful metric for gender equity and retention.

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Accompanying this is data from the company’s existing Childcare Subsidy program: in 2025 alone, 1,114 employees received the benefit, covering 1,132 children at a total cost of approximately US$1.6 million.

The policy announcement arrives at a time when talent competition in the post-pandemic travel industry is intensifying, with companies struggling to rebuild workforces and improve employee engagement. By offering a substantially longer paternity leave than is legally mandated in most markets—many Asian countries require less than a week for fathers—Trip.com Group directly tackles the work-life balance demands of millennial and Gen Z workers, who increasingly factor such benefits into employment decisions. The financial commitment to childcare, nearly matching the cost of many corporate wellness programs, signals that the company views family support as a productivity investment rather than a cost. The 100% maternity return rate further validates the approach: when both mothers and fathers feel supported, the talent pipeline remains intact.

On the environmental front, the report’s standout achievement is the validation of both near-term and net-zero greenhouse gas emission reduction targets by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), making Trip.com Group the first online travel company in the Asia-Pacific region to secure both. This is a non-trivial milestone given the tourism sector’s heavy reliance on transportation and accommodation—Scope 3 categories that often account for over 90% of emissions in such businesses. SBTi validation demands rigorous accounting, public disclosure, and alignment with the Paris Agreement’s 1.5°C pathway. For Trip.com Group, it means a credible decarbonization roadmap that will likely require deep collaboration with airline partners, hotel chains, and other suppliers. The move places the company ahead of regional peers and on par with global leaders like Booking Holdings, which have also set SBTi targets but are typically not disclosed as dual-validated.