Sustainable Procurement News

Hotels in the UAE are renowned for offering the last word in luxury. However, that comes with a problem, how do hoteliers continue to provide such lavish spreads while reducing waste?

While it's certainly not a new problem, some of the methods being embraced are. One hotel has taken to turning leftover scraps into water to irrigate its vertical farm, while another has used data to cut the number of croissants it throws out by almost 15,000 a year.

The need to tackle waste produce in the hospitality sector is clear, with 15.3 million hotel guests recorded in the first half of 2024 – a 10.5 per cent increase from the previous year. Initiatives like the Ne’ma Pledge, launched last year, aim to cut food loss and waste by up to 50 per cent by 2030.

Japan’s hotels are embracing eco-friendly practices, driven by rising demand for sustainable tourism, yet greater guest awareness is essential for lasting impact.

Rising environmental awareness among international visitors is pushing Japan’s hospitality sector toward more sustainable practices, yet genuine progress calls for increased guest awareness and education. Hotels across the country are actively embracing eco-friendly measures to cater to the evolving expectations of travelers who seek responsible tourism options.

The Ministry of Environment is set to propose a comprehensive green certification framework for the hotel industry to accelerate its transition toward sustainability. This move aligns with the global rise in sustainable tourism, which emphasizes the responsibility of both businesses and travelers in minimizing environmental, social, and economic impacts.

Current Landscape of Sustainable Hotel Certification in Taiwan
Despite the increasing international focus on sustainability, Taiwan has yet to establish a dedicated certification system for sustainable travel. While some nations have taken significant steps—such as Singapore, which aims for at least 60% of its hotel rooms to attain internationally recognized sustainability certifications this year, and Turkey, which has mandated certification for all hotels—Taiwan’s progress has been slow.

The tourism and hospitality industry is particularly vulnerable to climate change, energy transitions, and environmental degradation—existential threats to Europe and the world. To tackle these challenges, the European Green Deal aims to transform the EU into a modern, resource-efficient, and competitive economy, ensuring:

No net greenhouse gas emissions by 2050
Economic growth decoupled from resource use
No person and no place left behind

From devastating wildfires to widespread flooding, the hospitality industry is increasingly on the front line of climate change. This is not a distant scenario but a pressing, daily reality. Hotels, restaurants, bars, and cafés are facing unprecedented challenges, and it is crucial that they take swift action to mitigate climate risks and safeguard their customers, staff, and local communities.

The mini-documentary “Hotel Marcel: A Net-Zero Transformation,” part of ESG News’s new “Brands With Values: Net-Zero Transitions Series,” delves into the innovative journey of Hotel Marcel’s conversion into the United States’ first net-zero energy hotel. The film highlights the vision and dedication of owner and architect Bruce Becker, who spearheaded the transformation of this historic Brutalist structure in New Haven, Connecticut.

The World Sustainable Hospitality Alliance has announced a new set of environmental, social and governance metrics to standardise sustainability measurement within the hospitality industry.

Introduced at the COP29 Climate Change Conference in Baku this week, the alliance’s Universal Sustainability Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) aim to provide hotels with “a consistent, transparent and verifiable method for assessing and reporting their sustainability performance”.

The ‘first wave’ of KPIs is focused on environmental impact and include metrics to measure carbon footprint across Scope 1, 2, and 3 CO2 emissions, water consumption, energy usage and waste management as well as a denominator utilising guest nights and/or occupied room counts for calculations.

As the world pauses today on World Earth Day to reflect on its environmental responsibilities, India’s hospitality sector finds itself at an important crossroads – one where sustainability is no longer optional, but essential. With the country’s booming travel and tourism industry contributing significantly to the economy, the need to embed green practices into every corner of hospitality has never been more urgent.

India, known for its warm hospitality and diverse culture, is also emerging as a key player in sustainable tourism. From luxury resorts in the Himalayas to beachside retreats in Kerala, more and more hotels are adopting eco-friendly practices. Hotels today understand that being environmentally responsible is not just good for the planet, it’s good for the business too. Eco-conscious travellers are on the rise, and they prefer staying in places that align with their values. Green certifications like LEED, Green Globe and EarthCheck are becoming common in hotel brochures and websites.

As India emerges as a key market for hospitality brands, both global and homegrown, sustainability has become an increasingly pressing concern. Despite growing awareness, industry leaders agree that the sector is still in the early stages of integrating sustainable practices in a meaningful way.

Ajay Bakaya, chairman of Sarovar Hotels, emphasized that while there is a general intent toward sustainability, it often lacks depth. “There is good intent, but there is a lot of lip service, and this lip service is not helping the situation. We need to use common sense,” he said, adding that the hospitality industry still has a long way to go before it gets its “act together.”

Accor,  Booking.com, and University of Surrey Unveil Groundbreaking Research on Motivating Sustainable Travel Decisions
Accor, a global pioneer in hospitality, has joined forces with Booking.com, a leading digital travel platform, and the University of Surrey, renowned for its expertise in hospitality and tourism management education, to release a comprehensive report aimed at understanding and enhancing traveler motivations towards sustainable choices during their stays. This research-driven initiative seeks to bridge the gap between travelers’ sustainability intentions and their actual behaviors, paving the way for a more eco-conscious hospitality industry.

The Critical Role of Guest Participation in Sustainability Efforts
As the hospitality industry continues to innovate and implement sustainable practices, it is increasingly clear that the success of these initiatives hinges on guest participation. However, the journey towards a more sustainable guest experience is often met with skepticism. Many travelers remain uncertain about their role in supporting sustainability efforts, despite their growing interest in environmentally responsible travel.

Thai hotels must step up sustainability efforts to comply with new European Union (EU) regulations by 2026, according to a report by the Economic and Business Research Centre of Siam Commercial Bank (SCB EIC).

The new rules, including the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD), will require companies operating in the EU and those in their supply chains, including Thai hotels, to disclose environmental and social impact reports.

This shift is expected to significantly impact the Thai hospitality sector, which relies heavily on European tourists.

Markus Feller, CEO of Like Magic, explores how AI and automation can support sustainable hotel operations by creating a low impact guest experience.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is the next big thing in hospitality technology, but its true potential goes far beyond nifty chatbots for guests to natter away with. 

What’s curious is that the hype and hoopla swirling around AI’s growing role in hospitality today doesn’t match up with how run-of-the-mill its utility will seem tomorrow. That’s not to say that AI isn’t a revolutionary tool for sustainability — it really is. But its greatest potential won’t be realised in improving guest experiences or in dynamic pricing but, instead, in optimising sustainability.

As the world recovers from the pandemic, its influence still resonates, especially within the travel and hospitality sectors. A key transformation has been the shift in consumer attitudes and actions. Where sustainability was once a peripheral issue, it has now become a core priority for many travelers.

“Across the globe, sustainable travel as a concept and practice has moved from the back of travelers’ minds to claim a dominant position in the decision-making process,” wrote Jane Sun, CEO of Trip.com in an essay last year.

New research shows that sustainability is emerging as a critical factor in employee retention, with over three quarters of hospitality staff (76%) – and 88% of those in management positions – saying they are more likely to stay in a job for longer if their employer makes a positive environmental impact.

The data was published in a report from foodservice technology provider Nutritics and hospitality data and insights consultancy CGA by NIQ, called ‘Sustainability Matters: Why your teams take it seriously’. This surveyed UK hospitality employees to understand attitudes towards sustainability within the sector, and found that employers’ poor environmental practice has a significant impact on their ability to retain and attract talent.

By eliminating single-use plastics and utilising renewable energy, ITC Hotels demonstrates that luxury and environmental responsibility can harmoniously coexist.

The ESG Framework for Tourism Businesses, developed by UN Tourism in collaboration with the University of Oxford SDG Impact Lab, is aimed at helping enterprises across the sector measure and report their sustainability efforts and impacts more consistently and reliably. With this new agreement, UN Tourism will work alongside the Alliance to test the Framework, refine its indicators and relevant tools, and foster stakeholder engagement.

UN Tourism Executive Director Zoritsa Urosevic says: "The ESG Framework for Tourism Businesses is set to transform the tourism sector by establishing harmonised and essential standards for companies to assess and report their sustainability efforts. The collaboration between UN Tourism and the World Sustainable Hospitality Alliance highlights how commitment and strategic partnerships can drive alignment and significant progress in ESG."

In an ongoing effort to promote sustainability and environmental responsibility, the Glass Recycling Company (TGRC) has called on South Africa’s hospitality industry to become a major player in glass recycling. The initiative encourages businesses in the hospitality sector—such as restaurants, bars, and hotels—to install free glass receptacles on-site to facilitate the recycling process. By making glass recycling more accessible, the hospitality industry can contribute to preserving natural resources and building a more sustainable future for the country.

ingapore-based Banyan Group has reported a reduction in its environmental footprint through its ‘2024 Sustainability Report—One Banyan, One Sustainable Future’.

The company’s advancements in energy efficiency and renewable energy adoption have led to a 5.7% decrease in emissions intensity per occupied room compared to 2023.

Banyan Group’s 2024 sustainability report highlights its efforts in reducing energy consumption through upgrades to lighting, air conditioning, and room control systems.