In last week’s column I highlighted carbon positive Populus hotels in Denver and Seattle. Carbon positive means they sequester more carbon than they emit over their lifetime.
This week I highlight the Radisson Hotel Manchester City Centre (U.K.), now open, and the Radisson RED Oslo City Centre (Norway), which has a planned July opening. Radisson Hotel Group just announced that both hotels have achieved Verified Net Zero status, already meeting the 2040 requirements of the Net Zero Methodology for Hotels. The alignment with the Net Zero Methodology for Hotels is verified by a third party, TÜV Rheinland.
The Verified Net Zero program is comprehensive and includes the carbon footprint from energy use (Scopes 1 & 2 as defined by the Greenhouse Gas Protocol or GHG) as well as the hotel’s operational and supply chain footprint (Scope 3). Actions include the use of 100 percent renewable energy, achieved through electrification of hotels and/or the purchase of 100 percent renewable energy for all hotel functions from heating, cooling, hot water to cooking and spa and pool facilities. Next to overhauling operations to minimize waste, Radisson Hotel Group has re-evaluated its supply chains with a focus on food & beverage, and other sources of emissions such as hotel related transportation to minimize emissions.
All remaining emissions are compensated using Nature Based carbon credits from carbon removal in partnership with Agreena, the largest soil carbon program in Europe, supporting over 2,300 farmers to regenerate more than 4.5 million hectares of European farmland.
Access More on the Net Zero Methodology for Hotels
Radisson Hotel Group dedicates a page on its website to Net Zero hotels. Interested in learning more about the Net Zero Methodology for Hotels? Be sure to check out the page dedicated to it on the Sustainable Hospitality Alliance website. There, you can download the methodology.
Now in its second edition, the 39-page Net Zero Methodology for Hotels is authored by Greenview in collaboration with PATA, the Sustainable Hospitality Alliance, and WTTC.
The Methodology provides specific guidance in the following areas to help set a Net-Zero commitment:
- Setting a baseline from which to pursue a net-zero target.
- Establishing the boundary of emissions that hotels should address over time as part of the baseline and target.
- Establishing default categories for planning a net-zero pathway, with milestones to achieve at 5-year interval yardstick years.
- Understanding how the hotel’s emissions will relate to the wider value chain of tourism and real estate.
- Commencing the net-zero planning for a commitment.
In order to operationalize the methodology, accompanying “Practical Guide to Getting Started” documents have been produced for hotels and companies. These guides set out the steps to be taken once the methodology has been reviewed and digested, to model the pathway, obtain buy-in from stakeholders, address Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions, establish ongoing processes, and then make and publicize the commitment.
Guidance for Establishing Goals
Even if your company or hotel is a long way from Net Zero, the Methodology is a worthwhile read, as it includes guidance for establishing goals for continuous improvement—by this year, 2030, 2035, 2040 and 2050.
Conflicted about the role of carbon offsetting to achieve Net Zero status, e.g. the “pay to pollute” view of offsetting? Be sure to look for/invest in carbon offsetting projects that protect the natural and cultural heritage in locations visited by travelers while offsetting the emissions of an activity.
In a press release about its two Net Zero Hotels, Federico J. González, Executive Vice Chairman at Radisson Hotel Group, stated, “Radisson Hotel Group aims to become Net Zero by 2050. While the move is easier in new build properties, the reality is that 80 percent of the buildings that need to become Net Zero by 2050 are already built. We believe it is critical to move as fast as possible with these existing buildings. Today, we are demonstrating that Net Zero conversion hotels are possible. In a conversion approach, the Manchester and Oslo hotels prove that non-sustainable hotels can become high performing asset classes with a positive impact on the planet. This approach needs to be serious and verified. And we are doing so with TÜV Rheinland. These Verified Net Zero hotels bring the future forward and offer guests the pinnacle of sustainable stays.”
If you have a carbon positive or Net Zero hotel story to share, reach out to me. I can be reached at greenlodgingnews@gmail.com.
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