Hotels throughout the region can create a bespoke roadmap to achieve net zero emissions by 2050. While many independent hotels, three- and four-star properties lack the necessary support of consultants to design, plan and execute a carbon-neutral roadmap, major international hotel brands already have the necessary resources to achieve their sustainability goals. The main challenges are: carbon footprint assessments across the hotel and its value chain; a lack of financial resources, with little or no budget allocated for climate-related activities; higher costs associated with sustainable products; and insufficient regulatory incentives to support a hotel’s net zero transition.
It is widely agreed that tourism, hotels in particular, account for 8 percent and 1 percent respectively of total global carbon emissions. Although implementing a carbon reduction plan is challenging both internally and externally, it remains a necessity and has significant benefits.
“Reducing energy output, water consumption, and waste will save a hotel operation money through lower utility bills and landfill costs. Moreover, 81 percent of travelers who responded to a 2021 booking.com survey said that they wanted to stay in sustainable accommodation, and a further 49 percent claimed there was not enough choice. It is impossible to become carbon neutral by reduction methods alone, so hotels will need to offset a certain percentage of their emissions, by supporting certified carbon offset projects, such as providing clean cooking fuel to isolated communities in Africa to help prevent deforestation. It is essential that hotels start to plan their environmental strategy now if they are to play their part and support the overall net zero goals of their respective governments, particularly those in the UAE, which will host the COP 28 meeting in Abu Dhabi next year,” said Nadia Ibrahim, associate director of consultancy and sustainability at Farnek, a leading UAE-based smart and green facilities management (FM) company, during a recent Swiss Business Council webinar.
