As the global push for decarbonisation gains momentum, businesses across all industries, including the hospitality industry, are looking for ways to reduce their environment impacts. In the report (include link Climate Change and Tourism - Responding to Global Challenges | UNWTO) published by World Tourism Organisation and United Nations Environment Programme, the hotel sector accounts for around 1% of global carbon emissions and this is expected to increase. International Tourism Partnership (ITP) has conducted a study Climate Change and Tourism - Responding to Global Challenges | UNWTO and found that the hotel industry need to reduce its carbon emissions by 66% by 2030 and 90% by 2050 to stay within the 2˚C threshold agreed at COP21. One of the key steps for hotels to begin their decarbonisation journey is to measure and track their carbon emissions to understand their environmental impacts.
How does measuring and tracking of emissions help hotels in their decarbonisation journey?
Measuring and tracking emissions can help hotels to:
Tool for calculating emissions
Sustainable Hospitality Alliance (SHA) and World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) have created a free tool, Hotel Carbon Measurement Initiative (HCMI) for hotels to calculate their carbon footprint. HCMI was created to develop a consistent methodology for all hotels to measure and communicate their carbon impact.
For more information and to download HCMI, please refer to Hotel Carbon Measurement Initiative (HCMI) – Sustainable Hospitality Alliance.