How far we have come as a team…2022 was the year Kerten Hospitality decided to be a driver in developing its ESG Strategy as a company and on a property level. Bringing on a dedicated person to develop a holistic sustainability strategy that truly reflected the team, company goals, and the current ways properties have been running and operating. ESG has been a focus for Kerten Hospitality since the beginning, and properties have been actively involved within their local communities since opening. UBBU is Kerten Hospitality’s ESG Initiative where sustainability, people and our communities are of all equal importance. UBBU strategy reflects a natural approach to community involvement & activation as the underlying main approach for ESG in Kerten Hospitality is Locality.
With the initiation of UBBU, increasing standards, guidelines and plans expanding, UBBU started to flow throughout all teams as we motivated one another by sharing moments, and initiatives on property together. Teams, properties, all started to understand and promote UBBU, sharing experiences, and excitement of how they celebrated UBBU that month.
Our UBBU New Year’s resolution is to maintain a widespread understanding of all sustainability programs, and reporting for our teams to use and lead on properties. In order to maximize effectiveness of sustainability strategies, it is crucial that each and every team member understands their role, and the various cost savings initiatives that is being put into place.
With so many new projects in the pipeline, it is essential that we ensure standards are being implemented from the building and design phase. Many of the larger, high investment sustainability implementations are far more effective, easier implemented, with a faster ROI when thought of beforehand. For each new signed project, concept, and assets building happening in 2023 we have the full potential to fully adopt UBBU Values in going above and beyond with our standards as we work diligently on integrating the UBBU initiative with each champion, teams, and project.
For our currently operating properties, 2023 solely about now putting UBBU into action and walking the talk with each program that has been developed. 2023 is about drilling down and focusing on each of our individual properties.
True sustainability takes long term vision, planning, and goal setting. The New Year’s resolution that should be adapted 100% fluidly throughout the industry is to get rid of quick fixes!
The ultimate resolution for the entire team in regard to UBBU, will be the year of sharing!
Sharing impacts from our curated UBBU programs, details on the work that has been going on behind the scenes and testimonials from our UBBU Teams. 2023 will be the year of increased transparency on what UBBU really is when tangibly being put into actions and driven locally on each property.
With big ideas in store for UBBU, we are looking forward to seeing what the individual teams/properties will achieve, and also as an industry as we continue to collaborate, knowledge share and innovate! We hope to see more collaborations, increased connections, and UBBU coming to life for the public eye and industry partners.
2023 will be the year of actions, Impacts, measurements, and extensive local activation.
By Tiana Amann
Head of ESG
