STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN—BeCause, the Danish start-up transforming how the global hospitality, travel, and tourism industries manage their sustainability data, is simplifying the sustainability journey for members by integrating the industry association’s Hotel Sustainability Basics (HSB) framework into its platform.
The partnership will enable WTTC to scale its Hotel Sustainability Basics more effectively, broadening its reach and impact within the hospitality industry. By centralizing relevant data within the BeCause platform, the global association will have greater visibility into which hotels have completed the framework and which ones are lagging, empowering it to advocate for more sustainable hotel operations globally. Similarly, hotel management at the chain level can check on the progress of individual properties and provide the necessary support to help them in their sustainability journeys.
“Sustainability is a priority for travel and tourism. Through the Hotel Sustainability Basics, the global hotel industry has come together to define 12 fundamental, globally aligned sustainability criteria that all hotels can and should implement as a bare minimum,” says WTTC President and CEO Julia Simpson. “Our goal is to have a globally recognized trademark that shows customers at a glance that a hotel is taking measures to improve its environmental performance while also supporting its local community. By joining forces with BeCause we are increasing the transparency of that process and giving hotel groups an effective and efficient way to put that tool into the hands of their properties.”
Hotels’ Sustainable Path to Green
Hotels that adopt the HSB framework have three years to meet its 12 criteria, which include sustainability indicators such as energy measurement and linen reuse. They can apply for Hotel Sustainability Basics (HSB) verification annually through one of WTTC’s partners, Green Key and SGS. Successful verification grants them a badge that can be used across their branding to appeal to the growing number of environmentally conscious guests.
In the future, BeCause will simplify this process further by automatically transmitting data from its platform directly to the verification partners. Hotels already using BeCause to manage their sustainability data can reuse their existing and overlapping data points for the HSB framework, removing the need for duplicative and manual tasks.
“Like any endeavor, the first step is always the hardest. While many hotels might have sustainability initiatives in place, they don’t necessarily track their data—or do so efficiently. By completing the HSB framework through BeCause and gaining greater insight into how their business activities impact the planet, we hope they will be encouraged to pursue even more ambitious sustainability measures in the future,” says BeCause CEO and Co-founder Frederik Steensgaard.
An Industry-Specific Platform Based on Efficiency
BeCause is a purpose-built, AI-powered hub that centralizes a hotel’s sustainability data and automates the transmission of that data amongst different stakeholders, such as travel and accommodation booking marketplaces and industry certifications. Additionally, once a hotel enters its data into the BeCause platform, it can be upcycled and automatically mapped to multiple frameworks, making qualifying for voluntary green certifications faster and more efficient while ensuring regulatory compliance.
For instance, hotels in Europe can meet their reporting obligations under the EU’s Corporate Social Responsibility Directive by leveraging the industry-specific components of the ESRS reporting framework that BeCause is currently integrating into its platform, saving significant resources and reducing costs.
“For a long time, hotels have lacked an efficient way to manage their sustainability data. They were constrained by manual processes that produced unreliable results, making it difficult to get buy-in from stakeholders on sustainability-focused projects,” Steensgaard adds. “We’re here to change that, whether you are a hotel just starting out and using Hotel Sustainability Basics as your guide or you already have several eco-certifications granted.”
For more information about BeCause or to speak with CEO and Co-founder Frederik Steensgaard, contact Vanessa Horwell at vhorwell@thinkinkpr.com.
For more information about WTTC’s Hotel Sustainability Basics, visit WTTC.org.
