BETHESDA, MD.—Host Hotels & Resorts, Inc. announced new 2020 greenhouse gas emissions, energy, water and waste targets after meeting its 2017 goals ahead of schedule. Based on the success of its programs to date, the company elected to increase and expand its efforts to reduce the environmental footprint of its portfolio.
The company is one of the first Fortune 500 companies and the first hospitality company to have their emissions target approved by the Science Based Targets initiative, which aims to have companies commit to bolder emissions targets in line with science to keep global warming below the 2 degree threshold.
2020 Environmental Targets:
- Reduce Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions per square foot by 28 percent*
- Reduce energy consumption per square foot by 15 percent*
- Reduce water consumption per occupied room by 25 percent*
- Divert waste from at least 50 percent of major renovation projects (new metric)
*All metrics are based on improvements from the company’s baseline of 2008.
“We are delighted that our strategic decision to invest in fiscally responsible sustainability projects resulted in exceeding all of our goals two years ahead of schedule,” said Rick Werber, Senior Vice President, Engineering and Sustainability. “The company is committed to researching and executing on sustainable systems and technologies that will help us reduce the environmental impact on our communities.”
Environmental Performance at a Glance:
Greenhouse Gas Emissions
- Reduced Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 24.0 percent per square foot from 2008 to 2015
- Avoided an estimated 35,000 metric tons of emissions compared to 2014, which is equivalent to taking over 7,000 cars off the road or providing electricity for over 5,000 homes for one year according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Energy Efficiency
- Reduced energy use per square foot by 12.8 percent from 2008 to 2015
- Avoided an estimated 86,000 megawatt hours of energy compared to 2014 through energy efficiency improvements
Water Efficiency
- Reduced water consumption per occupied room by 22.2 percent from 2008 to 2015
- Avoided an estimated 72.8 million gallons of water compared to 2014 despite increased occupancy through water efficiency upgrade initiatives
For additional information on Host’s Corporate Responsibility Program, visit www.hosthotels.com.
