Exclusive Feature - Next phase of sustainability in Hotels: fewer lip-talks and more concrete actions (Measure and Manage template included).

The impacts of climate change on people and nature are increasingly apparent. Habitats are undergoing rapid shifts in response to changing temperatures and precipitation patterns.

While we can't reverse the damage, we can make changes to slow things down and create a more sustainable future.

The hospitality industry has a crucial role to play in limiting its impact across the spectrum of critical sustainability issues with the final objective to reduce carbon footprint greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

Along with transportation, the hotels and food and beverage industries are all major contributors to greenhouse gas emissions, which lead to climate change. That's why it's essential that hotel executives (both at the corporate level and at hotels) find ways to address the issue and move to the next phase - not only because it's moral imperative but it makes good business sense.

Sustainable management pays - both in terms of efficiency as well as brand loyalty and employee retention. Today's - and tomorrow's - workers and travelers are among the most powerful and influential consumers ever, and increasingly, are supporting organizations that care about sustainability. “People buy from people who share their values”.

Hotels are large consumers of resources, and the amount of overconsumption and wastage, in general, can be high. It is therefore essential to find ways to "reduce-reuse-recycle-upcycle" and be as eco-friendly as possible. This will require constant innovation, open minds, and wide-ranging behavioural changes.

With the vast majority of the world's population breathing unsafe air, hotels have to play their role in reducing emissions, limiting wastes, conserving utilities, use of renewable energy, use of smart technology, increasing efficiency throughout and championing other sustainable practices. Train-retrain/educating all people on the importance of sustainability is simply an obligation.

Evaluation & benchmarking template (enclosed); Primary targets (KPIs) and measurements for any organization & hotels must include objectives- actions-results related to sustainability. Measurable environmental targets with easy-to-follow assessment, rating, and rewarding processes will help to drive efficient practices and implementations.
 
Measure and Manage (template); here a systematic steps towards sustainability in hotels that translate into tangible actions.

Benchmarking and/or self-assessment (Simply put, hoteliers can't save what they aren't measuring, and if they can't measure it, they can't improve it.) As a practical guideline, here is a self-evaluation template.

Utilities Metrics

In principle, all targets and KPIs must be measurable, relevant, specific, and time-bound. Targets should be aggressive but achievable, and all stakeholders must accept and embrace them in full.

Can develop similar benchmarking for fuel and gas (if any).

P/S: Sustainability is not just a passing trend – it is here to stay and must address root problems.

Sustainability – Business Activities

Giovanni Angelini
A 50 year veteran of the Hotel-Hospitality-travel industry with a wealth of experience acquired in 4 Continents, Asia in particular. A long term resident of Hong Kong and Retired Chief Executive Officer of Shangri-La International.

A board member of several large corporations and member of many industry related and quality management organisations. Founder of Angelini Hospitality, providing consultancy and advisory work to developers and hotels-travel-tourism organisations.

Recipient of two Honoris Causa (Doctorate) in Business Administration and in Global Business Leadership, four Lifetime Achievement Awards, the 2006 Corporate Hotelier of the World, Maestro del Lavoro (2014) and of several other recognitions and awards.

www.angelinihospitality.com

Book: Winning Hospitality - Practical advice for sustainable success (Kindle Edition)
In Winning Hospitality, Giovanni Angelini condenses around 60 years of international hospitality experience into tips and advice for hotel operators and owners, senior and young executives, students, teachers, and anyone striving for excellence in the demanding and dynamic world of travel and tourism planning and management.

The text serves as a vital reference for anyone seeking to develop the business activities, teams, brands, skills and hotels necessary to delight guests, customers, employees, and owners alike – today, and for many years to come...