The Sustainable Hospitality Alliance, the leading global network in responsible hospitality, has launched the Pathway to Net Positive Hospitality for the Planet during ITB Berlin followed by a Sustainability-focused panel with CEOs from the biggest hospitality groups.
Wolfgang M. Neumann, Sustainable Hospitality Alliance Chair launched the Planet Pathway.
Speakers at the panel included Kerten Hospitality’s CEO Marloes Knippenberg, Accor’s Chairman Sebastien Bazin, Dirk Bakker, CEO of Colliers and Nakul Anand, Executive Director, ITC Ltd. The panel was co-moderated by Professor Willy Legrand from IU International University of Applied Sciences and Xenia zu Hohenlohe, Co-Founder Considerate Group.
The pathway
The vision of the Pathway is that every hotel around the world can, and must, aim for net positive environmental impacts, whatever their starting point.
To achieve the goal to a cleaner and more sustainable Planet, the Pathway provides a practical, four-stage guidance framework as a free resource that supports all parts of the hospitality value chain to progress in a cohesive, strategic manner. It includes detailed action guidance for hotel operators, brands and asset owners, applicable to both single or multi-unit organisations.
The Pathway recognises that sustainability is crucially important to the sector’s long-term success. With 83% of global travellers stating that sustainable travel is vital, combined with the vulnerability of the industry to environmental impacts such as water scarcity and climate change, a robust sustainability strategy is now an essential element for all hospitality businesses.
The sequential approach enables hotels to get started with simple actions for climate, water, waste and biodiversity, such as purchasing renewable electricity, before progressing to more advanced actions, such as installing on-site renewable energy sources.
The Pathway to Net Positive Hospitality has both been created in direct collaboration with the hospitality industry and its value chain, in consultation with environmental and industry experts.
Wolfgang M. Neumann, Sustainable Hospitality Alliance Chair said: “Our Pathway fills the current vacuum of a co-ordinated and focussed strategic plan across the hospitality industry to tackle the urgently needed climate actions. It is a practical tool for any hotel, no matter their starting point, to obtain guidance on how to prioritise and sequence targeted and measurable climate actions. The Alliance wants to encourage all hotels to embrace the journey all the way to net positive. We are spearheading the dialogue beyond having ‘zero’ impact and setting a vision for what we can be putting back into the natural world with a lasting ‘positive’ impact on our planet and its people.”
“Today is our industry’s carpe diem moment! Collectively, we need to act to end the Planet damage we’ve been causing, both environmentally and socially. That is why it is important to combine policy-drafting and rule implementation with the support and motivation of our teams globally to act on their ideas NOW. The reference we make as Kerten Hospitality to the ‘’butterfly effect’’ whereby the softest flutter of a wing can affect the molecules around it, setting off a chain reaction that amplifies into major change that have lasting impacts on the surrounding environment.”Marloes Knippenberg, CEO of Kerten Hospitality
“Climate change calls for collaboration, not competition. We believe that working with our peers and partners from the hospitality sector is the most effective way to make substantial change happen. The pathway is an important step in that journey.” Brune Poirson, Chief Sustainability Officer, Accor
“We have only one chance with planet earth. Deutsche Hospitality with its approximately 11,000 employees is aware of this responsibility. Participation in the Sustainable Hospitality Alliance’s “Pathway for net positive Hospitality“ therefore is a matter close to our hearts. Let’s seize the opportunity to make a big difference together.” Marcus Bernhardt, CEO, Deutsche Hospitality/Steigenberger Hotels AG
“No one company can shape the future of responsible travel alone. It requires teamwork and a collective effort across the industry to achieve a common goal. The Pathway will help create tangible change locally and internationally at scale, supporting every hotel globally, no matter their starting point. Alongside our own clear sustainability plans and programmes, IHG looks forward to working with the Sustainable Hospitality Alliance to ensure the Pathway plays its part in helping write a more sustainable future for us all.” Keith Barr, CEO, IHG Hotels and Resorts
“We are proud to be part of the creation of the pathway for net positive hospitality – underscoring our industry’s commitment to protect the environment and limit the effects of climate change on our planet. Led by the Sustainable Hospitality Alliance, this collaboration will allow the hospitality industry to have a much greater impact collectively than we can individually. We encourage others in the industry to join us on this pathway, to help our communities remain vibrant places to live, work and visit, and create a better, more sustainable future for all.” Anthony Capuano, CEO, Marriott International
