Hilton to Reduce Environmental Footprint

Hilton is cutting its environmental footprint in half and will double its social impact investment by 2030, the hotel and resort company recently announced. It will be among the first hotel companies to institute science-based targets to reduce carbon emissions and send zero soap to landfill.

The company will also work to support local communities, doubling the amount of money it spends with local and minority-owned suppliers as well as doubling its investments in programs that help women and youth around the world.

“For nearly 100 years, Hilton has been driven by our mission to have a positive impact on the communities surrounding our hotels,” said Christopher J. Nassetta, president and CEO, Hilton, and chairman, World Travel & Tourism Council. “In this Golden Age of travel, we are taking a leadership role to ensure that the destinations where travelers work, relax, learn and explore are vibrant and resilient for generations of adventurers yet to come.”

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The changes come after a survey of 72,000 Hilton guests found that social, environmental and ethical considerations were central to buying preferences, especially among customers under the age of 25.

The survey revealed that 33 percent of Hilton’s guests actively seek out information on the company’s environmental and social efforts before booking–of those, 60 percent conduct research even if the information is not easily accessible. Forty-four percent of those under 25 actively seek this information, and 36 percent of leisure travelers actively seek this information, compared to 29 percent of business travelers.

Female travelers (39 percent) are more likely to actively seek this information before booking than male travelers (29 percent).

The survey also found that guests staying in Central/South America (46 percent), the Middle East/Africa (45 percent), Asia Pacific (41 percent) and mainland Europe (35 percent) are more likely to seek this information before booking.

At the April 2018 WTTC Global Summit in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Nassetta joined Patricia Espinosa, the executive secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, and other travel and tourism leaders in discussing a common agenda on how to take action on climate change, implement the Paris Climate Agreement and adopt science-based targets to reduce carbon emissions.