Hospitality industry launches carbon measurement tool
A group of major global hospitality companies have joined forces to launch a new tool to help measure and report on their carbon emissions.
The Hotel Carbon Measure Initiative (CHMI), aims to enable businesses to calculate and communicate the carbon footprint of hotel stays and meetings in a consistent and transparent way.
It was developed by the International Tourism Partnership (ITP) and the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) in partnership with hospitality businesses, such as Marriott International, the Whitbread Group - Premier Inn, Hilton Worldwide, Hyatt and Accor.
It also looks to help corporate clients understand their potential carbon footprint and meet their own carbon reduction targets. The system has been tested in a range of hotels and reviewed by the World Resources Institute.
WTTC president David Scowsill, said: "Through this initiative we have seen major hotel companies come together to agree a means of communicating carbon impacts which ultimately will result in more transparency and clarity for the consumer.
"We expect this industry common language to be widely used within the next two years."
ITP director Stephen Farrant added that the model could also serve as a "useful template" for other industry sectors looking to address their carbon challenges.
KMPG climate change and sustainability special global advisor Yvo de Boer, said: "Carbon measurement is one of the key challenges of our time and the myriad of systems to measure and report carbon usage, particularly in the hotel sector, results in confusion and scepticism amongst consumers.
"This initiative to ensure that hotels are aligned in their approach to carbon measurement is a vital step in addressing the challenge."
Accor | carbon reduction | Hospitality & leisure