NETZERO
largest offsetting transitions of all — which is unattainable without being based on current insights .
How can businesses ensure that carbon offsets comply with their overall requirements ? NH Hotel Group has put in place guidelines to ensure that all projects are focused on the same outcome .
Detailing the application of carbon offsets in the company in addition to other carbon-reducing initiatives , Garcia explains : “ On the one hand , we use offsetting as an exceptional alternative in order to comply with the annual targets set and , on the other hand , we give visibility to the Company ' s climate commitment by involving guests in it .”
Must hotels rely on carbon offsets ? It will be interesting to see the impact that carbon offsets have on the climate considering the volume of companies claiming this approach . The general consensus , however , is that organisations want to be responsible for their own actions to reduce emissions . Tom Mallet , Carbon Management Lead at Accor , is responsible for the company ’ s global climate strategy . He says that hotels must address two major areas when transitioning to net-zero .
The first category is Energy — the largest source of hotel emissions — and Mallet explains how it is “ associated with everything from heating and cooling , hot water , laundry operations and lighting ”.
“ To reduce these emissions to zero , using less energy is the priority . The good news is that , today , there ’ s a huge diversity of smart technology available to help hotels monitor their energy use and make reductions . To make deeper energy savings requires considerable investments to upgrade hotels .”
“ THE MAIN OBSTACLES ARE AN INSUFFICIENT SENSE OF URGENCY , KNOWLEDGE GAPS , POOR DATA , AND LACK OF FINANCIAL RESOURCES OR ACCESS TO CAPITAL ”
ELENA RUIZ GARCÍA DIRECTOR , SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS , NH HOTEL GROUP
96 May 2022