Climate change-conscious travelers are increasingly concerned about the carbon impacts of both their transportation and the environmental impact of their stay.
And for good reason. The hotel sector accounts for around 1% of global carbon emissions, which is predicted to grow.
Moreover, CO2 emissions from tourism (hospitality and transportation) are forecast to increase by 25% by 2030 from 2016 levels.
But many companies are taking action to reduce their carbon footprint. Here are three examples of companies leading the way in the use of carbon metrics:
- The Arctic Blue Resort is a high-end eco-resort in Finland that charges guests based on their carbon footprint.
- The Chiswick Hometel claims to be the world’s first whole life cycle net-zero hometel (home/hotel), meaning that all the carbon emissions from construction, operation, and through to the end of the building’s end life are all equal to zero.
- The travel company Pura Aventura gives clients a carbon total for each of their custom-designed itineraries based on their proprietary application.
In addition, the Sustainable Hospitality Alliance (SHA), comprised of 14 leading hotel companies, just launched a new net-zero methodology for hotels. Patrick O’Meara, CEO for SHA, explains that the guidance will help hotels measure and report emissions in a consistent manner making it easier for customers to make comparisons.
