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Carbon Footprint

ENERGY & CARBON MANAGEMENT ... Hotel giants join forces to count carbon consistently ... Hotel Carbon Measurement Initiative (HCMI) methodology

Burgess COMMENTARY

Peter Burgess

ENERGY & CARBON MANAGEMENT ... Hotel giants join forces to count carbon consistently

More than 15,000 hotels across the world have joined forces to commit to measuring their carbon impact in a consistent way.

So far more than 15,000 hotels have started using the Hotel Carbon Measurement Initiative methodology, which allows hotels to calculate and communicate the carbon footprint of hotel stays and meetings in a more transparent way.

The brainchild of companies including Accor, Hilton Worldwide, Marriott International and Starwood, the Hotel Carbon Measurement Initiative (HCMI) methodology allows hotels to calculate and communicate the carbon footprint of hotel stays and meetings in a more transparent way.

The tool is the result of a huge collaboration led by the International Tourism Partnership (ITP), the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) and 23 of the biggest hospitality companies in the world.

The companies will now roll out the methodology to each of their properties and will be tasked with communicating the initiative to a wide range of stakeholders, including industry associations, certification bodies and corporate customers.

The HCMI gives clarity on reporting emissions, with user-friendly, easy-reference emissions factor tables.

So far, more than 15,000 hotels have started using it. It takes about two hours to complete by using easily-available data from energy bills and suppliers. Once hotels have entered their data into a spreadsheet, it can analyze its carbon footprint for guestrooms and meeting spaces during a specified year, per night and per guest.

According to the WTTC, it is a free tool that has been developed to be robust enough to meet global carbon reporting standards but also practical enough for any hotel to implement – from huge casino hotels to small bed and breakfasts, according to its developers.

“The HCMI is a fantastic example of the world’s largest hotels putting their competitive differences to one side to work together in the interests of the industry overall,” said David Scowsill, president and CEO of the WTTC.

Other companies in the Working Group responsible for the creation of HCMI, include: Beijing Tourism Group, Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group, Diamond Resorts International, Fairmont Hotels and Resorts, Hong Kong & Shanghai Hotels, Hyatt Corporation, InterContinental Hotels Group, Jumeirah Group, Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group, Meliá Hotels International, MGM Resorts International, NH Hoteles, Orient-Express Hotels Ltd, Pan Pacific Hotel Group, Premier Inn - Whitbread Group, Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts, The Red Carnation Hotel Collection, TUI AG and Wyndham Worldwide.

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