STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN—Electrolux Group has reduced its absolute scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions (direct and indirect in operations) by 82 percent compared to 2015—going beyond its 2025 target of 80 percent. Scope 3 emissions (when products are in use) also decreased by over 25 percent compared to 2015, which is in line with the company’s 25 percent reduction target by 2025. This means the company has reached its 2025 science-based target three years ahead of plan. “We were among the first 100 companies to set a global ambitious climate target—and now we are among the very first companies to...

NATIONAL REPORT—In this article, CBRE’s Alan Jutte provides insights on a study of hotel operating statements from CBRE’s Trends in the Hotel Industry which showed that new properties with energy-efficient features resulted in substantial energy savings compared to older or less efficient properties. The study concluded that while sustainability efforts can lead to reduced costs, the extent of these savings may depend on various factors such as room size, building size, amenities, building materials, etc. Sustainability is an increasingly crucial component across almost all industries. Embracing new and more efficient business models and technologies is expensive, and often developers and operators...

DUBAI, U.A.E.—Dubai, U.A.E.-based Global Hotel Alliance (GHA), the world’s largest alliance of independent hotel brands, has launched its Green Collection, bringing under one umbrella nearly 200 hotels, resorts and palaces operated by GHA hotel brands that are demonstrating their commitment to protecting people and the planet. Every Green Collection property has attained at least one certification from a globally recognized environmental organization, with EarthCheck, Green Growth 2050, Green Key and Green Globe among the 15 leading certification bodies represented, and each requiring hotels to meet the highest international standards for sustainability initiatives and performance, with regular third-party audits conducted to...

INTERNATIONAL REPORT—The Sustainable Hospitality Alliance (the Alliance), which brings together the industry to create a prosperous and responsible global hospitality sector that gives back to the destination more than it takes out, has released its latest Pathway to Net Positive Hospitality v2.0 at ITB Berlin. First launched in March 2022, this updated version of the Pathway provides a more holistic and practical four-stage roadmap to accelerate hospitality towards a sustainable and contributory future. It harnesses the power of the four pillars of people, planet, place, and prosperity combined with the industry’s transformative power, innovation, and resources. It aligns with leading...

If your company has set goals—even ambitious goals—for greenhouse gas emission cuts in the next decade and you are satisfied with those goals, it is time to reevaluate. That is the message from a very important UN report released last week from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). In a nutshell, the report said we are all not doing enough to keep temperatures to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. Temperatures have already risen to 1.1°C above those levels, a consequence of more than a century of burning fossil fuels, as well as unequal and unsustainable energy and land use. Said the...

SINGAPORE—Marina Bay Sands has been certified to the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) Industry Criteria for Hotels and Accommodations, becoming the largest hotel in Singapore to earn the accolade. It also sees Marina Bay Sands join a leading group of hotels globally to achieve this certification. The conferment of the certification bears testament to the integrated resort’s continued efforts in implementing innovative sustainable solutions that effectively marry world-class hospitality with sustainability. The GSTC Industry Criteria for Hotels aims to promote the best sustainable tourism practices around four main themes: effective sustainability management, minimizing environmental impact, maximizing social and economic benefits for the local...

DUBUQUE, IOWA—Innovative Ink Publishing, an imprint of Kendall Hunt Publishing Company, has released Sustainable Hospitality, written by green hospitality industry expert Dan Ruben. The textbook provides hospitality professionals and students with the knowledge and resources to make their properties environmentally sustainable. “The target audience is hospitality professionals who work for hotels, cruise ships, and other hospitality sectors, as well as hospitality students,” Ruben says. “Managers of senior living facilities, dormitories, and other lodging facilities will benefit from this book, too. Sustainable Hospitality offers a roadmap to a leaner operation—one where less energy and water are consumed, and where less waste is generated....

AMSTERDAM—EVBox has been awarded a gold medal rating in recognition of its sustainability actions by EcoVadis as a result of the 2023 assessment. The result is based on the evaluation of policies, actions, and results of activities from the previous year in the areas of environment, labor, human rights, ethics, and sustainable procurement. EVBox scored a total of 73 points and is in the top 1 percent of companies rated by EcoVadis in the “manufacture of other electrical equipment industry” and top 5 percent of all companies rated by EcoVadis. The EcoVadis assessment methodology rates companies’ actions when determining social and environmental...

MADRID, SPAIN—UNWTO has released a new report highlighting the progress that global tourism has made in measuring greenhouse gas emissions as well as the challenges the sector still faces. Measurement of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions is key for climate action. However, the tourism sector as the value chain is complex, diverse, and overlapping, making sure measurement challenging. The new report “Climate Action in the Tourism Sector: An Overview of Methodologies and Tools to Measure Greenhouse Gas Emissions” was developed by UNWTO with support from the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection of Germany (BMUV) and...

HOLLYWOOD, FLA.—Hard Rock International is once again teaming up with global conservation leader World Wildlife Fund (WWF) for its annual Earth Hour movement, bringing the world-renowned brand’s “Save the Planet” motto to life. Hard Rock Hotels, Cafes and Casinos around the globe will participate on March 25, 2023, by “going dark” for one hour starting at 8:30 p.m. local property time. Guests at participating properties’ restaurants, bars, Rock Shops, hotel rooms, lobbies and outdoor spaces will partake in the movement by engaging in fun, entertaining activities, without the use of electricity: from candle-lit dinners and acoustic musical performances to flame shows, cocktail promotions,...