CSR: Hotel Industry Stands Together To Fight Climate Change
The estimated $550bn global hotel and hospitality sector is one of the world’s fastest-growing industries. And with some 17.2 million rooms booked each year, it is also one of the most impactful. Tourism contributes about 5% of global greenhouse gas emissions, and those are set to grow by 130% by 2035, according to the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership. The International Tourism Partnership (ITP) has warned that the hotel industry must reduce its carbon emissions per room per year by 66% from 2010 levels by 2030, and 90% by 2050, in order to stay within the limits of the Paris Agreement.
Many hoteliers, however, are making impressive strides in managing their social and environmental impacts. Hilton, Hyatt, Marriott, Four Seasons, Radisson and the InterContinental Hotels Group are among the 14 members of the ITP, a collaborative platform set up by the UK’s Business in the Community responsible business network. ITP members have set 2030 goals aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals on four key issues: water scarcity, carbon emissions, human rights and youth employment.
In lieu of this, Hilton has said it will double its investment in social impact and cut its environmental impact in half worldwide by 2030 as part of its Travel with Purpose commitment. Marriott pledged by 2025 to train 100% of its employees to recognise human trafficking, a growing problem for the industry. Another ITP member, Soneva, which owns three luxury resorts in the Maldives and Thailand, is providing access to freshwater for local communities with its own water bottling plant, while India-based ITC Hotels Group, with its mantra of “responsible luxury”, has Leadership in Energy and Environment Design (LEED) platinum-certified each of its hotels, integrating elements such as 100% LED lighting, solar panels and living roofs.
Air conditioning, kitchen and laundry facilities and hotel guest rooms contribute the most to energy consumption, prompting hotels to focus on energy efficiency, switching to renewable energy and electrification. Hilton has committed to reducing carbon emissions by 61% by 2030 and was the first in the industry to set a science-based target. All Hilton hotels are required to use LightStay, Hilton’s corporate responsibility measurement system, to set annual targets for energy, water and waste usage. The platform measures goal progress tracks energy use and carbon output. Since 2008 it has reduced carbon emissions and waste by 30%, and energy and water consumption by 20%, saving more than $1bn in operating efficiencies.
While the big brands in the hotel industry have started taking steps to address climate change, they represent a minority in the industry. The majority of it consists of smaller players who have not yet started to recognise their role in fighting climate change. It is only with the combined effort by all the stakeholders will the hospitality industry be able to fight climate change in a real way.
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The CSR Journal Team
