Energy Efficiency, GHG Emissions, Industrial  -  July 19, 2024

IHG Hotels Builds Low Carbon Hotels

IHG Hotels & Resorts, a global hospitality company, announced the launch of its Low Carbon Pioneers program, which brings together energy efficient hotels that have no fossil fuels combusted on-site and are backed by renewable energy.

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.  New hotels will have 12 months to certify from when they open.

Low Carbon Pioneer hotels will use IHG’s Green Engage environmental platform to track and measure their energy data,.

Additional hotels will join the Low Carbon Pioneers program 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.

IHG will not use fossil fuels on-site except for backup generators that fall below 5% of the hotel’s total annual energy consumption.

“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,” said Elie Maalouf, CEO of IHG Hotels & Resorts, in a statement. “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.”

For IHG’s hotel owners, the Low Carbon Pioneers program can play an important role in future-proofing their businesses. As the company tests, learns and shares findings, it will also help encourage wider adoption of carbon reduction practices across IHG’s estate.

IHG is constantly developing solutions to help measure, manage and minimize 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 company also adopted renewable energy via a community solar program in the U.S.