Choosing sustainable accommodation for your business

Leading companies are stepping up their corporate social responsibilities. They are exploring their supply chains for new ways they can support the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

You can do your part by checking the sustainability performance of your company’s accommodation provider. It’s easy.

Rising carbon emissions are accelerating climate change, causing devastating impacts on communities and biodiversity.

We have joined hundreds of other jurisdictions around the world and declared a climate emergency.

Travellers understand their impact and want to change

The jury is in – there is a solid and growing market for sustainable travel.

• Booking.com’s survey  of their travellers found 87% want to travel sustainably
• Hilton’s survey of 72,000 of their guests found 33% actively seek social, environmental and ethical considerations before booking.

The accommodation sector matters

And the sector is growing. If carbon emissions are not measured and curbed now, negative impacts will escalate. Hotels can also reduce large amounts of potable water use and waste – particularly food waste – going to landfill.

Independent environmental ratings and certifications create a culture of continuous improvement. Certified ratings schemes help hotels monitor their business performance and identify opportunities for savings.

These schemes also make it easy for guests to compare environmental performance.

When Tui Hotel Group surveyed 330 of its hotels they found certified hotels, compared with non-certified hotels, achieved:

• 10% lower CO2 emissions per guest night
• 19% less potable water use per guest night
• 24% less waste volume per guest night
• higher satisfaction scores for accommodation overall.

Better procurement practices have led to significant environmental improvements in other sectors. When the NSW Government set energy performance standards for its office spaces, energy use reduced by 35% and emissions reduced by 40% over time.

Changes to procurement in the accommodation sector could drive similar results.

Hotel providers tell us they prioritise sustainability action when their customers demand it. This is where you can demonstrate leadership.

The Global Business Travel Association’s Hotel RFP Global Form provides clauses companies can use in their procurement for hotels. Examples are below.

Certification clauses

Is the hotel certified by a globally recognised 'sustainable' certification program?

• Yes
• No

If yes, please name all sustainable certification programs you participate in. Examples: Global Sustainable Tourism Council-recognised programs or LEED programs.

Does your sustainable certification include a third-party audit?

• Yes
• No