ITHACA, N.Y.—Travelers and other consumers increasingly want to know about the carbon footprint and other sustainability information connected with their hotel stay. In response, most hotel companies have developed methods to answer this question—but so far, no single method for calculation has been widely adopted. As a result, travelers find it difficult to compare one hotel to another, and many industry leaders have called for a uniform method of reporting on the many items relating to sustainability.
A new report from the Cornell Center for Hospitality Research (CHR) analyzes the wide diversity of sustainability factors, and explains how those measurements can be compiled to report on sustainability performance. The report, “Developing a Sustainability Measurement Framework for Hotels: Toward an Industry-wide Reporting Structure,” by Eric Ricaurte, is available at no charge from CHR. In addition to the carbon footprint, the report examines energy use, water consumption, and waste generation, all of which are at the forefront of stakeholder information requests. Ricaurte consults companies on corporate responsibility and sustainability.
“The CHR commissioned this report after we received requests from lodging industry leaders at several CHR roundtables and conferences,” said Professor Rohit Verma, CHR executive director. “We were delighted when Eric Ricaurte took the lead in developing this measurement framework. He had the able assistance of Paul Hildreth, of Marriott International, David Jerome at InterContinental Hotels Group, and Faith Taylor, of Wyndham Worldwide. Now, the industry needs to move this process forward.”
Ricaurte added: “I want to underscore the fact that the lodging industry has moved quickly to respond to requests from guests, investors, and other stakeholders regarding sustainability. Although most hotel companies have developed platforms to address these requests, it’s hard for consumers to make use of the data because the individual reports, assumptions, and measures are not always communicated uniformly. What we need now and in the future is industry collaboration to gain agreement around these issues.”
The study presents a comprehensive framework for sustainability reporting, which is then tested using actual 2010 data from 20 hotels operated by InterContinental Hotels Group, Marriott International, or Wyndham Worldwide. The study determines that standard metrics are certainly feasible, although no single catch-all industry benchmark will adequately represent the environmental footprint of guests’ hotel stays, nor is comparison a straightforward matter. Instead, the industry can provide measurements that allow the accounting and comparison of carbon footprints that stakeholders request.
