From reaction to resilience

International mobility companies mostly face the same challenges. Regulatory and transparency requirements are intensifying, while rising expectations from clients and employees are increasing the need for operational performance. The sector is evolving quickly and we need to anticipate changes required to our strategic model.

In this context, climate resilience shouldn’t be seen any longer as a simple advantage; it is becoming essential for business continuity – and even all-round viability. This means it should no longer be developed only in response to emergencies, but also be based on structural choices: clear governance, robust processes, risk analysis and continuous improvement.

Taking a more sustainable approach to international mobility therefore makes complete sense. Not as an additional, one-off challenge, but as a practical way to combine performance, responsibility and the ability to anticipate continuously.

1. A sector already used to adaptation now faces a new sustainability reality

Adaptation is not new in the international mobility sector, which already operates in a highly complex environment: multiple countries, multiple stakeholders, a lot of regulations and constant change. Each service requires compliance with customs and immigration rules that differ from country to country, requirements that are evolving constantly, and global logistical coordination with carriers, service providers and administrations. Such complexity requires sector players to demonstrate a constant ability to adapt.

That ability has been shaped by temporary issues: geopolitical crises, health crises, regulatory changes and temporary logistical disruptions. These challenges generally follow the same pattern of disruption, a solution and a gradual return to normal.

Climate change does not follow this pattern. It is no longer a one-off challenge, but a continuous transformation of the environment in which we operate. There will be no return to the previous state, so we are no longer speaking about a limited impact, but rethinking how we work.

This climate-related change can be seen in port closures following storms, disruption to river routes caused by fluctuating water levels and a slowdown in operations because of heatwaves. We also see indirect effects: the cost/availability of packaging materials, such as cardboard and wood; fluctuations in fuel prices and changes to trade routes caused by geopolitical tensions, port and airport congestion, or restrictions in the Suez Canal.

2. Climate change is redefining international mobility

This new reflection changes the nature of the issue facing the international mobility sector. It is no longer about managing isolated disruptions on a case-by-case basis, but rethinking operational models and solutions offered to clients. It means anticipating and expanding the proposed solutions to continue supporting international mobility sustainably.

Furnished rental accommodation, for example, could meet the same need: settling quickly in a new country without relying on the international transport of a large volume of personal belongings. Other forms of housing can follow the same logic: providing an equivalent response in terms of service, but built around a lower environmental footprint. Sustainable housing with strong energy efficiency is one example.

Physical moving is not a matter of reduction, but more of decarbonisation. Several solutions are already emerging, such as wind-powered maritime transport, with CO₂ emission reductions stated at around 90 per cent compared with conventional sea freight.

The Europe-Asia rail route is also another strong contender. This mode of transport, slower than air freight but less polluting, is an excellent option for diversifying transport modes in response to climate disruptions. At a more local level, solutions such as cargo bikes help decarbonise the last mile, which accounts for part of the urban emissions linked to logistics.

3. Moving from reaction to anticipation

Historically, the sector has managed risks retrospectively: a challenge arises and a solution is developed. However, it is no longer enough to react; we must anticipate the disruptions ahead. This means integrating climate considerations into decision-making and strategic thinking. In practical terms, this translates into a genuine analysis of climate risks: mapping vulnerabilities by geographical area and by mode of transport.

This requirement is now reflected in new versions of standards. The 2026 revision of ISO 14001 introduces the concept of double materiality, which requires two impacts to be considered simultaneously: the company’s impact on the environment and, for the first time, the impact of environmental and climate-related risks on the company itself. This dual consideration precisely illustrates the shift in mindset expected from the sector: no longer only measuring emissions, but also assessing exposure and vulnerability to climate disruption.

The reflection on anticipation isn’t theoretical: it must be translated into everyday decisions. When several logistical solutions are possible for the same service, the carbon footprint becomes a decision-making criterion, alongside cost and lead time. The aim is to gradually integrate sustainability criteria into day-to-day operational decisions until this becomes ingrained as a habit.

This operational shift can only hold if it is accompanied by an internal cultural change: moving from a culture of reaction to one of anticipation at every level of organisation. This requires a continuous effort in training and awareness raising so every employee can treat the carbon footprint as a criterion.

Within this logic of cultural change, the transformation must also extend to the sustainable working conditions offered internally: soft mobility, recycling and renewable electricity. The coherence of the approach is reflected externally, in the solutions offered to clients, and internally, in the way the company brings these principles to life every day.

At Santa Fe, the culture of anticipation is embedded in strategic decision-making. The management system is based on a simple idea: CSR is not a constraint but a driver of development. The activity remains polluting by nature, so the approach is to reduce this footprint through alternative solutions, while building an internal culture in which this becomes a shared reflex, rather than merely a policy.

The business line

This is directly reflected in our service offering. Wind-powered transport and cargo-bike delivery have been integrated in line with the low-carbon alternatives mentioned above.

For technical visits, video conferencing is also used when possible, to avoid travel. For relocation services, housing searches also rely on providers that offer environmentally friendly properties with strong energy performance.

Purchasing and service providers

Vigilance extends to the supply chain: each new service provider is selected in accordance with our responsible purchasing charter. This is a way of not shifting climate responsibility outside the company’s scope, but of involving suppliers in this approach.

Sites and infrastructure

The transition to 100 per cent LED lighting, across our network, has enabled us to reduce our electricity consumption by 68 per cent. This clearly illustrates the link between sobriety of thought and performance. Other measures reinforce this logic: automatic sensor taps to limit water consumption; motion-sensor lighting in sanitary facilities; environmentally friendly cleaning products; solar panels powering outdoor lighting; and charging stations for electric vehicles. Our waste is also recycled and mostly recovered as materials or energy.

Mobility and internal culture

Sustainable employee mobility is encouraged through car-pooling, as well as through a fleet of electric and hybrid service vehicles.

Social initiatives

Every move involves families adapting to new environments. This relies on the expertise of specialists across different fields, working together to support mobile employees and their families. This shapes Santa Fe’s approach to social responsibility, which includes wellbeing, inclusion, training and development, fair employment and community engagement. These priorities contribute to service quality and strengthen those communities. Community engagement is a visible aspect of this approach:

• Each employee has one paid volunteering day per year, on themes linked to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. These cover a broad spectrum: environmental protection, humanitarian support through donation collections and assistance for vulnerable groups, public health, such as blood donation, and education and youth initiatives.
• Following the relocation of the Brussels office, Santa Fe partnered with Digital for Youth to refurbish and donate surplus IT equipment: 20 laptops and more than 90 additional devices in Thailand and the Netherlands, representing nearly 9.7 tonnes of CO₂e avoided at the intersection of social and environmental impact.
• Regular donations to local charities, particularly toys and food, as well as participation in the Action Against Hunger Challenge, which brings teams together around the fight against hunger.

A recognised trajectory

This method is now assessed through external certifications: ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and the EcoVadis Gold label, with a score of 82/100 for France in 2026. The progress reflects continuous improvement. It is part of a long-term trajectory towards carbon neutrality, with resilience built in methodically at every level of the organisation.

Climate change further strengthens client expectations. When a canal closes, a storm delays a container or a logistics route changes on a daily basis, an expatriate who has organised an entire move around an arrival date needs to know quickly what solutions can be proposed. As these disruptions multiply, certain requirements become central to the client relationship: greater visibility over risks and actual lead times; more communication rather than reactive messages; and greater transparency about the choices made, so clients can understand why one solution is preferred over another and with what impact.

This requirement is redefining our actions with clients. A traditional move was partly limited to a service governed by a contract and a timetable. Supporting international mobility today also means helping clients anticipate uncertainties largely beyond their control and choose between options: furnished rental accommodation or a full move, rail or air freight, in a context where these options themselves evolve from year to year.

Support then becomes more important than ever. As well as selling a move, we are supporting a life project – of a person or a family – which must remain achievable in an environment that is continually disrupted. This human dimension has always been our sector’s real strength.

The mobility sector has always been able to adapt. What is changing is the nature of the challenge and how we respond: no longer as a set of problems to overcome, but as a continually transforming environment to navigate.

At Santa Fe, this conviction is reflected in the simple method explained above: anticipate rather than react, decarbonise where possible and support a life project without limiting it to logistics. This is not an acquired position, but a trajectory, driven by a simple conviction that is constantly improving. The objective is no longer only to reduce our environmental impact, but also to help strengthen the human and natural ecosystems on which our activity depends, on a sustainable basis. The road ahead is still long, but we are learning, evolving and progressing.

This change of direction is becoming an essential and strategic focus for Santa Fe. It determines the ability to continue providing a high-quality service, rethought and adapted to a sector that is durably exposed to climate-related disruptions, while ensuring development that remains coherent with its environment: a smaller footprint, greater robustness and a service that continues to meet client expectations.