FRANKFURT AM MAIN—Deutsche Hospitality is putting sustainability at the very heart of its global corporate approach. The group has completely redrawn its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Strategy to emphasize that a strong commitment to the environment and to society will now form the foundation of all business activities. “We need to make decisions which are not detrimental to the environment or to future generations. This should be self-evident to us,” stated Marcus Bernhardt, CEO of Deutsche Hospitality. “Hoteliers are an active part of a society looking to create enduring and sustainable values. For us, Corporate Social Responsibility means taking our responsibility towards the environment, staff, customers, and stakeholders such as suppliers and partners very seriously and establishing binding standards.”
“Deutsche Hospitality is committed to fulfilling its ecological and social obligations. Our hotels reflect a global world which we are seeking to help shape in a sustainable, open and transparent way,” Bernhardt says.
Lars Wahnschaffe, Senior Manager CSR, is in charge of the development, introduction and implementation of the CSR Strategy. Wahnschaffe has spent the past weeks and months drafting a Mission Statement which will now be rolled out globally.
Commitment & Objectives for a Better Future
Deutsche Hospitality’s CSR Strategy encompasses five main action areas. Each of these central focuses is backed up with specific objectives. The goals for 2021 include establishing the first carbon-neutral hotel and instigating a complete ban on hard soap and foie gras. In Europe, the proportion of menu options which are vegetarian or vegan will rise to 30 percent this year. Endangered fish species will no longer be served, and sustainably certified and Fairtrade coffee will be introduced throughout Europe. Takeaway coffee cups will be abolished in all hotels in Europe. Training programs on sustainability and human rights will be implemented globally.
The action areas are as follows.
Green Buildings—We need to use natural resources carefully if we are to reduce our CO2 footprint. We use certifications to secure high sustainability standards for buildings and processes worldwide. The long-term aim is to achieve climate neutrality with the assistance of environmentally friendly construction standards which exert an impact on the planning, development, operations, and maintenance of our properties.
Green Services—We seek to offer our guests services which are increasingly sustainable. This will allow us to improve what we offer at a local level and to achieve a more effective impact on the climate and on society. We are not content merely to create impetuses for more ecological travel behavior. We are also prepared to take a hard look at ourselves. We are thinking about the types of packaging we use. Targeted measures aimed at producing greater sustainability are being introduced in food and beverages.
Fair Partnerships—We want to set out a clear direction of travel and take our suppliers along with us on the sustainability journey. One vehicle in this regard is a procurement system which attaches more and more importance to regional, fair trade and certified products. More sustainable supply chains and respect for human rights are further possible routes. We pursue these goals as a matter of course, and we also expect the same from our partners at a global level.
One Team—We operate a culture of togetherness in which everyone from senior management staff to trainees contributes to success in their own way. Our staff are the most important drivers of sustainable actions. As an employer, we place a firm emphasis on individual personal development, equality of opportunity, health, and mobility. This approach enables us to continue to pursue the development of a corporate culture which has its roots in cosmopolitanism and reliability.
New Chance—Social commitment has always been a key objective for us. This will only gain in importance in the future. We operate locations right across the world. We can and will use the societal influence which we are able to bring to bear and will help to shape social life at a local level. We establish long-term partnerships and networks for this purpose. We also enhance the effectiveness of our activities by involving our employees in our social commitment.
“Sustainable change,” Bernhardt continued, “requires cooperation. We listen carefully to understand the challenges which are being faced by our colleagues, investors and guests and by the regions in which our hotels are located. The issues at stake include youth employment, human rights, carbon emissions and the use of water. We can only overcome these challenges by working together.”
