LONDON, July 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- IHG Hotels &
Resorts, a global leader in hospitality, today announces the launch
of its Low Carbon Pioneers programme, which brings together energy
efficient hotels that have no fossil fuels combusted on-site* and
are backed by renewable energy.
This group of low operational carbon hotels is the first
community of its kind in the industry and will help IHG test, learn
and share findings on sustainability measures. The ambition is to
inspire other properties to join the programme and also help
encourage wider adoption of carbon reduction practices across IHG's
estate. The first Low Carbon Pioneer hotels span different IHG
brands and locations at these properties:
- Holiday Inn Express Madrid Airport, Spain
- Iberostar Waves Cristina, Spain
- Kimpton BEM Budapest,
Hungary
Each Low Carbon Pioneer hotel will feature sustainable solutions
such as high-efficiency heat pumps for heating and hot water
generation, as well as fully electric kitchens. Every property will
also have an operational sustainability certification** recognised
by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council, such as Green Key, or a
sustainable building certification, such as LEED, BREEAM or EDGE.
To track and measure their energy data, Low Carbon Pioneer hotels
will use IHG's Green Engage environmental platform.
Additional hotels will join the Low Carbon Pioneers programme
across all regions and IHG is also developing a "low-carbon ready"
group of hotels in preparation for when it becomes possible to
fully back all energy with renewables in countries or districts
where this is not currently available. The full criteria for a
Low Carbon Pioneer hotel is available here.
Elie Maalouf, CEO of IHG
Hotels & Resorts, said: "We are excited to launch our
Low Carbon Pioneers programme as another innovative way in which
we're meeting evolving guest expectations, helping our hotel owners
future-proof their businesses and reducing carbon across our
estate.
"This is an important next step in IHG's
sustainability journey but it remains one of many we must
continue to take. Accelerating change at scale for both IHG and the
wider industry also requires broader support from governments
ranging from greater access to renewable energy and incentives for
owners, to a reduction in the cost of technology that speeds up the
industry's transition to a greener, more resilient future. IHG is
committed to working with industry bodies and governments to help
achieve this, alongside encouraging more owners to adopt carbon
reduction practices and become Low Carbon Pioneers."
Future proofing properties within IHG's estate
For
IHG's hotel owners, the Low Carbon Pioneers programme can play an
important role in future-proofing their businesses and as we test,
learn and share findings it will also help encourage wider adoption
of carbon reduction practices across IHG's estate.
Guests seeking more sustainable stays will find hotels marketed
as low carbon or low carbon ready across IHG's booking channels to
make it clear which ones are energy efficient, have no fossil fuels
combusted on-site and are backed by renewable energy. With almost
all IHG's top global corporate accounts setting net-zero or
carbon-neutral targets, these hotels will be attractive to
corporate clients looking to meet their own sustainable travel
commitments. Energy efficient, lower operational carbon hotels can
also provide potential future benefits to owners, such as greater
alignment with environmental regulatory changes and better access
to green finance for new projects. Collectively we believe these
benefits should lead to stronger property valuations in future.
Leading the Way
IHG Hotels & Resorts recognises
its responsibility as one of the world's leading hotel companies to
take decisive, practical action to reduce carbon emissions. Guiding
this is a Journey to Tomorrow responsible business plan to care for
its people, communities and the planet, which brings colleagues,
hotel owners and partners together to be a force for good. IHG is
constantly developing solutions to help measure, manage and
minimise the environmental impact of its thousands of hotels, from
energy conservation measures as brand standards in areas such as
lighting, heating and ventilation, to sourcing renewable energy and
installing EV chargers.
The Low Carbon Pioneers programme builds on IHG's heritage in
creating ambitious and innovative solutions to drive progress
across the industry. Having been the first global hospitality
company to replace bathroom miniatures with bulk amenities and to
provide properties with renewable energy via a community solar
programme in the US, IHG is excited to now be setting a new
sustainability benchmark for hotels to help reduce operational
carbon from its estate.
To learn more, visit our webpage here.
*Except for backup generators that fall below
5% of the hotel's total annual energy consumption
**New
hotels will have 12 months to certify from when they open.
About IHG®
IHG Hotels &
Resorts [LON:IHG, NYSE:IHG (ADRs)] is a global hospitality
company, with a purpose to provide True Hospitality for Good.
With a family of 19 hotel brands and IHG One Rewards, one
of the world's largest hotel loyalty programmes, IHG has over 6,300
open hotels in more than 100 countries, and a development
pipeline of over 2,000 properties.
- Luxury & Lifestyle: Six Senses Hotels Resorts
Spas, Regent Hotels & Resorts, InterContinental
Hotels & Resorts, Vignette Collection, Kimpton Hotels
& Restaurants, Hotel Indigo
- Premium: voco hotels, HUALUXE Hotels &
Resorts, Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts, EVEN
Hotels
- Essentials: Holiday Inn Express, Holiday Inn
Hotels & Resorts, Garner hotels, avid hotels
- Suites: Atwell Suites, Staybridge
Suites, Holiday Inn Club Vacations, Candlewood
Suites
- Exclusive Partners: Iberostar Beachfront
Resorts
InterContinental Hotels Group PLC is the Group's holding company
and is incorporated and registered in England and Wales. Approximately 375,000 people work
across IHG's hotels and corporate offices globally.
Visit us online for more about our hotels and
reservations and IHG One Rewards. To download the IHG One
Rewards app, visit the Apple App or Google
Play stores.
For our latest news, visit our Newsroom and follow us
on LinkedIn.
Media pack
You can find the below assets available in
this folder.
- Low Carbon Pioneers film
- Photos including hero image for website/press release
- Case studies
- Programme requirements
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