Dive Brief:

• IHG Hotels and Resorts launched a low carbon program to boost energy efficiency across its portfolio of sustainability-focused hotels, which aim to increase reliance on renewable energy and decrease on-site fossil fuel combustion, the company announced Wednesday.
• The global hospitality company, which operates over 6,000 hotels and resorts in more than 100 countries, said it would pilot the “Low Carbon Pioneers” program at three locations: the Kimpton BEM Hotel in Budapest, Hungary; a Holiday Inn Express in Madrid and the Iberostar Waves Cristina in Playa de Palma, Spain.
• IHG said the initiative is an “industry first” that would help the hotel chain “test, learn and share findings on sustainability measures.” Though the initial launch focuses on three locations, the company hopes other properties will join in and help bolster carbon reduction practices across its portfolio, according to a press release.

Dive Insight:

IHG said it unveiled the program because hotel guests are increasingly prioritizing sustainability and businesses with corporate hotel accounts are setting net-zero or carbon-neutral goals. The company — which has 19 hospitality brands under its umbrella, including Holiday Inn, Crowne Plaza and InterContinental — said such green initiatives would help attract clients that seek to meet certain sustainable travel goals and also reduce its own carbon footprint, per the release.

The company also said sustainable hotels can also unlock future benefits for its owners, such as better alignment with climate-focused regulations and improved access to green finance for new projects.

Each Low Carbon Pioneer hotel will come with sustainable amenities, such as fully electric kitchens and high-efficiency heat pumps for heating and generating hot water, according to IHG. Each location will also have an operational sustainability certification that is recognized by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council, like a Green Key or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design and Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Methodology certification.

The company said it is also preparing a cohort of “low-carbon ready hotels.” These are energy efficient hotels but located in countries that are not able to procure off-site renewable energy or are situated in areas that are mandated to join a regional heating or cooling network. Such hotels will rely on optimizing areas of its property — such as the roof — to generate renewable energy.

However, the company recognized that these sustainable initiatives cannot be achieved in isolation and will rely on collaboration with governments and other industries.

“Accelerating change at scale for both IHG and the wider industry also requires broader support from governments ranging from greater access to renewable energy and incentives for owners, to a reduction in the cost of technology that speeds up the industry's transition to a greener, more resilient future,” IHG CEO Elie Maalouf said in the release.