According to a recent count, China has 2.7 million hotel rooms and although the nation’s economic growth has cooled somewhat in recent months, there is no reason to believe that this number will not continue to increase.

Moreover, some areas of China (such as Shanghai) have continued their expansion. By one estimate the number of hotel rooms in China is expected to grow to 9.1 million by 2039.

In addition to outlining the scope of China’s hotel industry this white paper points to the potential for and the importance of the industry improving the sustainability of its operations, particularly regarding carbon emissions, energy, and water consumption.

Because the key is to include sustainability in hotel planning and design from a project’s outset, we discuss both the barriers and opportunities for China’s hotel industry to improve its sustainability.

This report is now available for download from The Center for Hospitality Research (CHR), Cornell University - School of Hotel Management.

Gert Noordzy is managing director of Northside Consulting, a boutique consulting firm focusing on new hotel opening processes. Gert graduated from Hanze College Hotel Management School, Zwolle, The Netherlands, and holds an MBA from the University of Saint Joseph, Macau. He has over twenty years professional experience in Greater China and South-East Asia. He has been involved in opening over thirty new hotels, and has published a book on project management of hotel opening processes. www.northside-consulting.com

Eric Ricaurte is founder of Greenview, a hotel sustainability and research firm. Eric graduated from Cornell University with a bachelor’s degree in hotel administration, and holds a master’s degree from New York University where he is an adjunct instructor. He has over twenty years professional experience globally, and has published a number of papers on sustainability for Cornell University Center for Hospitality Research.

Georgette James, founder of Clynice Travel & Tourism Consulting, is a Certified Public Accountant turned travel and tourism consultant. Georgette graduated from University of Massachusetts with a bachelor’s degree in accounting, Columbia University with a master’s degree in international affairs, and New York University with a graduate certificate in tourism management. She has nearly twenty years of professional business experience and has been involved in tourism market trends intelligence and industry research since 2013.

Meng Wu is an international hotelier and strategic sourcing expert. Meng was born and raised in Shanghai, and then lived and studied in Canada for ten years. She holds a master’s degree in sustainable development and organization from ParisDauphine University. Meng has over twenty-five years of professional experience in Greater China and became actively involved in corporate sustainability in 2010.