In just two weeks I will be attending the AHLA Responsible Stay Summit in Washington, D.C. Be sure to watch for coverage on Green Lodging News.
I have yet to see the agenda for the event, but it will, in AHLA’s words, convene “hotel industry leaders and sustainability experts in a dialogue around what’s next in the landscape of sustainability and the industry’s journey. Through subject matter experts and insightful presentations, we’ll work to advance sustainability discussions around energy efficiency, water conservation, waste reduction, and responsible sourcing.”
I am looking forward to the event at the Four Seasons Hotel. The event is for AHLA hotel members only.
It was in December 2022 that AHLA launched Responsible Stay, an industry-wide commitment to make meetings, events, and guest experiences in America’s hotels more environmentally and socially responsible.
Responsible Stay aims to advance environmental initiatives and help hotels shift operations to be more sustainable. This commitment to provide a “responsible stay” builds on existing initiatives by AHLA to support industry efforts to reduce carbon emissions, water and energy usage, waste and more, including:
- AHLA’s Sustainability Committee, comprised of industry leaders, communicates, educates and advocates on behalf of the lodging industry to showcase environmental efforts and elevates environmental sustainability and resilience;
- AHLA’s new partnership with the Sustainable Hospitality Alliance works to amplify, collaborate on and support hospitality sustainability programs and solutions;
- AHLA’s long-standing partnership with the World Wildlife Fund and the Hotel Kitchen program, which uses innovative strategies to engage staff, partners and guests in curbing food waste from hotel kitchens;
- AHLA’s ongoing partnership with the Department of Energy Better Buildings Initiative highlights energy efficiency and drives leadership in energy innovation in the hospitality sector by accelerating investment and sharing successful best practices;
- AHLA’s newly formed research initiative with Greenview helps quantify and benchmark sustainability practices across the hotel industry in the United States, which will allow for better insights, best-practice development and sustainability progress tracking over time.
Responsible Stay has elicited broad support across the sector, with members, state association partners and other industry stakeholders endorsing the program and its principles. A full list of endorsers can be found on the Responsible Stay website here.
To mark the launch of Responsible Stay, major hotel companies offered their individual commitments to advance environmental sustainability on their properties.
