I had an opportunity to interview Michael Chang, Vice President of Energy and Sustainability for Host Hotels & Resorts this past week. Be sure to watch for the article soon on Green Lodging News. A little more than seven years ago, I featured Michael in the Personnel Profile section of my site and have frequently posted about Host Hotels & Resorts since.
For those of you not familiar with Host, it is a Bethesda, Md.-based Real Estate Investment Trust with a portfolio of 77 hotels with 42,000 rooms in the top 20 U.S. markets. Notably, Host owns the New York Marriott Marquis as well as the 1 Hotel South Beach.
Host has a lot of stories to tell about its sustainability efforts. Here are just a few things that jumped out at me from the company’s 2023 Corporate Sustainability Report:
- Its goal is to become a net positive company by 2050.
- It was the first hospitality company and one of the first 20 companies globally to have its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions target approved by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi).
- Within its portfolio of 77 hotels there are 11 LEED-certified properties with 22 LEED projects in the pipeline. Host is well on its way to achieving its 2030 target of 40 percent of hotels having green certification.
- Another 2030 goal: reduce GHG emissions per square foot by 54 percent (2019 baseline).
Many of its hotels have solar installations. “We have been doing solar projects for over 10 years now,” Michael told me, adding that his company is currently eyeing carports at its properties for solar. Host has plans to triple the generation capacity of on-site solar PV systems within its consolidated portfolio. - Host wisely chooses hotels whose operators already have strong environmental programs—Marriott, Hyatt, Hilton, etc.
- A new consideration to its risk management program in 2022 was the incorporation of potential insurance risks for properties in areas that are more susceptible to the impacts of climate change. Host has invested over $138 million over the past five years in hurricane-resistant windows and doors, facades, and relocation of critical building systems, to increase asset resiliency against physical climate risk.
- Host’s environmental management system (EMS) for its entire consolidated portfolio has been third-party, ISO 14001-certified since 2016.
- Host incentivizes improved third-party environmental performance through the payment of variable incentive management fees and Host’s environmental stewardship award given at its General Managers Meeting.
- Regarding financing, the company states: “We have an aggregate total of $4.35 billion of financing with sustainability attributes, demonstrating our ESG commitment and leadership by being the first lodging REIT to issue green bonds and have a sustainability-linked loan with two-way pricing incentives to initiatives that contribute to our SBTi verified carbon emissions goal and to increasing the resilience of our portfolio.”
- A total of 95 percent of Host-owned hotels have completed the elimination of, or are in the process of eliminating, single-use guest toiletries.
Like any company, Host is not done biting off low-hanging fruit. In fact, last year the company doubled its investment in LED lighting compared to 2022. While it had installed LED lighting throughout its portfolio, Host was still finding opportunities for LEDs.
Host is frequently recognized for achievements in corporate responsibility and deservedly so. It is an organization others can look to for best practices to repeat.
Click here to access Host’s 2023 Corporate Responsibility Report.
Green Lodging News Adds Arte as a Founding Sponsor
Green Lodging News has added Arte as a Founding Sponsor at the Bronze level. Since its founding in 1981, Arte has combined passion for design and a drive for technological innovation in elegant wallcoverings that complement a range of interiors, from sumptuous classic to minimalist avant-garde. With hundreds of designs in thousands of colors, Arte’s award-winning wallcoverings reflect a rich range of elegance, style and taste for every type and style of project, backed by outstanding dedication to customer service and an extensive sampling program.
Having achieved the international, officially recognized carbon neutral label, Arte’s mission is to take climate change seriously. This CO₂ neutral label can only be obtained by means of a thorough, annual, company-wide audit by the external organization Southpole.
Arte wallcoverings are made from FSC-certified materials. Colors are made using the highest quality water-based inks that do not contain heavy metals. Arte’s production process complies with all the strict European environmental and safety standards. Packaging is made of recycled or recyclable materials.
Thirty percent of energy is generated by Arte’s own solar panels. The remaining 70 percent is made up of supplementary green energy. The company’s entire site is lit with LED lighting. Arte sorts its waste carefully in its own waste management and recycling center. Water used in production is purified at Arte’s on-site water treatment plant. Any residual inks are collected and reused.
More information and a complete product library are available at www.arte-international.com. You may also call (866) 943-2783 or e-mail sales.usa@arte-international.com.
Who is Your Sustainability Champion?
Green Lodging News is always looking to profile sustainability champions in our Personnel Profile section. If you would like to nominate someone for this section of Green Lodging News, contact me at (813) 510-3868, or by e-mail at greenlodgingnews@gmail.com.
Looking for Guest Columnists
Every two weeks Green Lodging News posts a new guest column on its website. (Click here for examples.) The guest column also appears in the weekly e-newsletter. Green Lodging News is currently in need of industry experts to contribute occasional guest columns. Experts may include consultants, architects, designers, suppliers, and those who own or operate green lodging establishments. Columns may be articles that take a stance on a particular subject or be strictly educational in nature. Columnists benefit by having their photo included along with a one paragraph description of their company. Interested in writing a column? Contact Glenn Hasek, publisher and editor, at (813) 510-3868, or by e-mail at greenlodgingnews@gmail.com.
Get in our Green Supplier Spotlights!
Green Lodging News, lodging’s leading environmental news source, publishes the Wednesday Green Supplier Spotlight and Thursday Green Suppliers Spotlight. Green Supplier Spotlight features just one vendor and Green Suppliers Spotlight features multiple vendors. Click here for a Green Supplier Spotlight sample and rate sheet. Click here for a Green Suppliers Spotlight sample and rate sheet. Both e-blasts have been built to generate quick leads. A report is sent a week after each e-blast that includes the number of e-mails sent, number of opens, and number of click-throughs. Contact Glenn Hasek at (813) 510-3868, or by e-mail at greenlodgingnews@gmail.com for more information.
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