It is the only company in its category (bars, hotels and restaurants) with an A- classification in Spain in the CDP Climate Change rating and the best in Europe in water management according to CDP Water.
Coinciding with the virtual Climate Ambition Summit involving 75 countries in order to assess progress on the COP21 Paris Agreement, the 2020 results for the CDP (Carbon Disclosure Project) have been announced in the “climate change" and “water management" categories.
Meliá Hotels International (MHI) has been participating in the project for the last 10 years. CDP is an independent, non-profit organisation that has the world's largest database for corporate information on climate change. Its objective is to evaluate the efforts made by the largest listed companies in the world to mitigate the impact of their activity and is based on annual questionnaires that help compile environmental information.
In 2020, MHI has achieved an A- rating in Climate Change, amongst the leading companies in the category and above the regional average for European companies (C grade) and the average for the international hotel industry (C grade). In the CDP Water category, Meliá was the top hotel company in Europe, obtaining a B grade.
The CDP Climate Change grade is based on an assessment of various areas, in many of which Meliá was well above the average, including business strategy and financial planning linked to the identification of risks and opportunities derived from climate change, emission reduction targets based on the COP21 commitments, a commitment to responsible management of the entire company value chain, transparency and governance. The CDP Water rating saw Meliá perform above average in measurement and accounting, the assessment of water risks linked to the analysis of water stress and objectives related to the reduction and proper management of the water cycle.
Meliá Hotels International's commitments to reduce emissions, in line with the 2015 Paris agreement, are to reduce Scope 1 and 2 emissions (those generated by its own activity) by 13% by 2023 and by 51% by 2035, taking 2018 as the base year. The company is also committed to reducing scope 3 emissions (indirect emissions) by 6% up to 2023 and 21% by 2035.
The company is working in different areas to achieve these commitments, such as optimizing energy use through saving and efficiency measures, acquiring renewable energy in Spain, Italy, Germany, France and the United Kingdom, encouraging an environmentally responsible supply chain, measuring waste and working towards a circular economy, the elimination of single-use plastics, commitments to projects to encourage the responsible behaviour of all stakeholders such as sustainable mobility or measures to make more efficient use of water.
The CDP represents more than 500 institutional investors with more than $105 trillion in assets and evaluates the measures that participating companies take to reduce emissions and mitigate the risks of climate change. In 2020, more than 9,600 companies representing 50% of the world's capital market value responded to the questionnaire. The Carbon Disclosure Project was initially a project in the finance industry which aimed to get information from companies to allow better investment decisions, incorporating climate change as a strategic factor.
For Gabriel Escarrer, Executive Vice President and CEO of Meliá Hotels International, “Despite the innumerable challenges caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, climate change and the future of such an essential resource for life on earth as water must continue to occupy a priority position on the business agenda if we wish to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and the objectives of the Paris Agreement. That is why we are very satisfied with the result of CDP 2020 and inspired to continue improving our position in the CDP Climate Change and CDP Water ratings".
