Global hospitality leader, IHG
Hotels & Resorts announced the launch of its Low Carbon Pioneers
program, bringing together energy-efficient hotels with no fossil fuels
combusted on-site and backed by renewable energy.
This group of low operational carbon hotels is the industry’s
first to help IHG test, learn and share findings on sustainability measures.
The goal is to inspire other properties to join the program and help encourage
wider adoption of carbon reduction practices across IHG's
estate. These first Low Carbon Pioneer hotels include:
- Holiday Inn Express Madrid Airport, Spain
- Iberostar Waves Cristina, Spain
- Kimpton BEM Budapest, Hungary
Each Low Carbon Pioneer hotel will feature sustainable
solutions such as high-efficiency heat pumps and hot water generation and fully
electric kitchens. Every property will have an operational sustainability
certification recognized by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council, such as
Green Key, or a sustainable building certification such as LEED, BREEAM or
EDGE.
Elie Maalouf, CEO of IHG Hotels & Resorts, said,
"We are excited to launch our Low Carbon Pioneers program as another
innovative way in which we're meeting evolving guest expectations, helping our
hotel owners future-proof their businesses and reducing carbon across our
estate.”
Maalouf added, "This is an important next step in IHG's
sustainability journey but it remains one of many we must continue to take.
Accelerating change at scale for both IHG and the wider industry also requires
broader support from governments ranging from greater access to renewable
energy and incentives for owners to a reduction in the cost of technology that
speeds up the industry's transition to a greener, more resilient future. IHG is
committed to working with industry bodies and governments to help achieve this,
alongside encouraging more owners to adopt carbon reduction practices and
become Low Carbon Pioneers."
Hotels will be marketed as low carbon or low carbon ready
across IHG's booking channels to identify which are energy efficient, have no
fossil fuels combusted on-site and are backed by renewable energy.
With almost all IHG's top global corporate accounts setting
net-zero or carbon-neutral targets, these hotels will attract corporate clients
looking to meet their sustainable travel commitments. Energy efficient, lower
operational carbon hotels provide potential future benefits to owners, such as
greater alignment with environmental regulatory changes and better access to
green finance for new projects.
IHG Hotels & Resorts recognizes its responsibility as
one of the world's leading hotel companies to take decisive, practical action in
reducing carbon emissions. The Journey to Tomorrow guide provides a responsible
business plan to care for its people, communities and the planet, bringing
colleagues, hotel owners and partners together as a force for good. IHG is
constantly developing solutions to help measure, manage and minimize the
environmental impact of its thousands of hotels, from energy conservation
measures to sourcing renewable energy and installing EV chargers.
The Low Carbon Pioneers program builds on IHG's heritage in
creating ambitious and innovative solutions to drive progress across the
industry. As the first global hospitality company to replace bathroom
miniatures with bulk amenities and provide properties with renewable energy via
a community solar program in the US, IHG is excited to be setting a new
sustainability benchmark for hotels to help reduce operational carbon from its
estate.
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