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Sustainability Development in Hotel Industry Essay Hotel industry in recent past has come up with various sustainable development measures. These measures are from conserving water, waste management , energy saving to creating green room. The industry has integrated its business with Sustainable development approach in various functions such as Operations, supply Chain and procurement. These sustainable approaches has benefited industry in terms of cost and brand. This research paper find out how globally Hotel industry is adopting sustainable development approaches in the daily business. The goal of Sustainable Development is clearly to secure economic development, social equity and environmental protection. As much as they could work in harmony these goals sometimes work against each other in our modern world. The rapid development of good living, travel and in general of the consumer society has often resulted in less protection to the environment and to some groups of the world population. Ferocious search for profitability has not co-existed harmoniously with making the world a better place. However there is a general consensus that t cannot go on for ever and those who are favored by life now feel responsible for those who have not had the same chance. Economic growth will always remain the basis of human development but it should integrate as well its impact on the people and on the planet. SD focuses on having a holistic approach to development taking into consideration economic, social and environmental needs while avoiding over utilizing key natural resources. Hospitality or Hotel industry all over the world is leading in creating sustainable model for other industry. Area of S ustainable Developments in Hotel industry Water As the hotel industry is a large consumer of water it is obvious that it should demonstrate its concern about this major problem. Currently, in a lot of hotels, guests are recommended to keep their towels –sometimes their sheets- for more than a day in order for hotels to conserve water and reduce the use of detergent. It is a worthwhile undertaking but one that sounds hypocritical as it appears to be as a cost saving exercise. Energy The installation of fluorescent lights throughout a hotel reduces energy consumption by thousands of dollars as does the replacement of windows. Green roofs help conserve energy. New energies – wind, solar should be encouraged. Not only these programs help save energy but they cut maintenance costs. Their pay-back period is generally very good. Governments usually encourage the efforts by giving grants or tax cuts. Hotel companies should do whatever can be done to help develop clean energies. Waste There is an enormous amount of waste in the hotel industry and particularly in the food industry. A significant global project is to engage the units to reduce waste as much as possible and to recycle it Greenhouse Gas emissions (GHG) Hotels, using major quantities of energy, produce major quantities of GHG. The measurement of the reduction of GHG emission is more visible when consolidated at company level. A company can make a pledge to offset carbon emissions by supporting an organization such as Climate Care. Paperless environment When one considers the quantity of paper that is used in a hotel one cannot but think of the destruction of trees and its impact on global warming. Moreover the printing of paper is often totally useless and people often discard papers after a meeting or will not even look at them at a later point. When one adds the production of ink and toners to supply photocopy machines it is easy to realize the negative impact of such habits on the environment. In a computerized world it is evident that old habits should be discouraged. Not only would it help the environment but it would also cut costs dramatically in the long term. Only the necessary printing of paper and strict use of recycled paper should be encouraged. Green Hotel Program – A new Concept In an industry where investment in the end product (rooms) is enormous it is significant to spend money wisely with a focus on the environment. It actually ives a great opportunity for the company to display its commitment to SD. Every aspect of room construction and decoration can be addressed: flooring, wall-covering, air conditioning, electrical installation, water usage, furniture, textile and equipment. Clearly the process should not only consider the room but the whole property; however in the hotel industry it is the room product that captures the attention of the public Procurement The value chain of the hotel industry includes a major component which is procurement. This is true not only during construction but while running a hotel and a restaurant. This activity will reveal how a sound hotel SD policy can have a ripple effect on other industries, engaging the procurement company and all suppliers in the same direction. Vendors involved in a hotel construction and renovation program should be made aware of the objective of the company. Moreover the procurement company should include Sustainable Development in its own strategy. It can start with presenting as many green products as possible and encouraging vendors to reduce packaging and offer recyclable products. It should as well emphasize buying sustainable food only. Once the procurement company is involved in this mission it will encourage hoteliers to go yet further in their SD efforts. The purchasing power of a procurement company is enormous and it will help reduce the unit price of sustainable products as they can be more expensive than non-sustainable products and it discourages hoteliers and restaurateurs from buying SD products. A major endeavor for a procurement company is to include Fair Trade in its strategy enabling local suppliers to develop their business and helping poor countries to expand their economy. It should not however stop companies from considering Fair Trade as a great opportunity to improve their corporate social responsibility. Industry Standards for ‘Green Hotel’ According to US green building council a ‘Green’ or ‘Sustainable’ Hotel will : †¢Use 26% Less Energy †¢Emit 33% Carbon Dioxide †¢Use 30% Less Indoor Water †¢Send 50%-75% less Solid Waste to Landfills and Incinerators †¢Green Buildings can also encourage the use of alternative transportation (walking, mass transit, low-emission, fuel-efficient or alternative fuel vehicles) World Wide Leading Hotels in Sustainable Development Fairmont Hotels Resorts Fairmont is certainly the hotel company that has introduced Environment and Community Service earlier than others in its global strategy. Due to its history and its hotels locations, often in the countryside, the company has officially recognized the importance of Environment in 1990 and pioneered the Fairmont Green Partnership, in order to minimize the impact of its hotels on the planet. It encourages all properties to individually search for environment initiatives, be it minimization of pesticide on their golf course, encouragement to use hybrid cars, etc. Its main topics are waste reduction, resource conservation, purchasing policy, habitat and species protection and community connection. They encourage as well Social Responsibility through the Fairmont Hotels Resorts charitable donations program that delivers grants which support Education and Youth development programs, Health programs, Social services and Civic and community projects. Through these programs Fairmont has received many accolades and awards, most recently the WTTC Tourism for Tomorrow 2006 award. Accor As of today Accor is the hotel company that is the most advanced in its SD approach. It started as an Environment strategy in 1994 building a network of 53 environment correspondents throughout the world. Sustainable Development was officially embedded in the strategy of the company in 2002 with the appointment of a Director of Sustainable Development, member of the Management Board, the creation of a group-wide SD committee and the development of an exhaustive SD strategy. That strategy encompasses all aspects of the concept. A scorecard has been developed that checks Accor’s involvement throughout the world with all takeholders: Shareholders, Customers, Employees, suppliers, Environment and local communities. The company was one of the first ones to sign the Global Compact initiative launched by UN Secretary General, Kofi Annan, in January 1999 which is a commitment to follow strict guidelines in terms of Human rights, Labor, Environment and anti-corruption initiatives. Accor is not only focused on developing a group SD strategy but insists in reaching each and every one of its 170 000 employees through direct campaigns. It sends a strong message to all employees by published a short document highlighting conservation tips, a comic book about environment conservation, and an environment guide for hotel managers to train their employees about all aspects of environmental protection. A SD purchasing charter was developed and distributed to suppliers to entice them to follow SD guidelines and involve them in a virtuous circle. Environment and eco-efficiency start during the development phase of all projects. The Company uses internationally or nationally recognized certifications. 0 hotels are now ISO 14001 certified and more certifications are in the pipeline. In Canada its hotels are Audubon certified for eco-efficiency. Measurements are in place to show the energy, waste and water consumption reduction. Biodiversity and architectural integration are another focus in the development of projects. For international and shareholder recognition Accor is listed in the major socially responsible investment indexes: DJSI World Stoxx, FTSE4Good, ASPI and ESI indexes. InterContinental Hotels Group IHG has evidently undergone a major shift toward a complete Sustainable Development strategy recently. The basis is there to make it the industry reference in the coming years. The group will not only be the largest hotel company in the world but as well, naturally, can become the most admired one. All components of SD have been addressed. Many actions geared toward social responsibility and environmental protections have been endorsed throughout the years by various divisions or hotels and coordination is now taking place. Measurements will help demonstrate that the company walks the talk and a separate and comprehensive company SD report will position the company not as one of but as the hotel company that leads the industry. It would be convenient to â€Å"brand† this strategy so that all could refer to it easily. A Senior Vice President Global Corporate Social Responsibility position was created in September 2006. Hilton Hilton Corporation has not yet embraced a holistic approach to Sustainable Development. They communicate mostly on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Environment concerns. Their CSR is focused on four areas: Education programs Selected Healthcare programs Youth programs Civic affaires and Public policy. Their Environment policies are based on a tagline: Reduce Reuse – Recycle. The company was the first in the industry to be awarded the EnergyStar award (US) for its involvement in reducing electrical energy consumption –fluorescent bulbs in all areas-, water conservation – towel program-, recycling. It encourages its employees to be involved in various community services. Hilton International (now bought by Hilton Corp) has started a program called We Care which is addressing mostly environmental issues and community service. They have included it in their balance scorecard system. Hilton Hotels has developed an interesting program to help improve relationship between people: Be Hospitable Kimpton Hotels It has divided its operations into two distinctive divisions: Hotels and Restaurants. It is very much involved in Sustainable Development and Environmental protection. Kimpton EarthCare: Their mission statement is the following: â€Å"To lead the hospitality industry in supporting a sustainable world, by continuing to deliver a premium guest experience through non-intrusive, high quality, eco-friendly products and services†. One of these initiatives is the creation of an eco-friendly room at the Triton hotel in San Francisco designed to become a best practice for the company. It offers amenity dispensers – to reduce packaging waste-, energy efficient lighting and motion sensors, non-toxic environmentally safe products, eco-friendly paints, energy efficient mini-bars and air conditioning system, etc. Kimpton’s SD strategy is clear, with a twist of being specific to â€Å"boutique/hip hotels†. However there are still at the initial stage when it comes to measurements. Some of them are the following: â€Å"Over $500,000 in new revenue attributed to EarthCare Over 12,000 gallons (over 360 bathtubs) of toxic cleaners removed from our water supply Conserved over 103,000 gallons of water at Hotel Allegro, Chicago Hotel Monaco Salt Lake City awarded the e2 environmental award Galleria Park Hotel in San Francisco saved $4,000 from just changing Exit lighting to LEDs†. Six Senses SPAs Their purpose: â€Å"To create innovative and enriching experiences in a sustainable environment†. They have an exhaustive list of values all geared towards the happiness of their staff and customers: â€Å"epitomizing all senses: sight, sound, smell, taste, touch †¦ and beyond†. Their environmental program is developed in the Holistic Environmental Management Program. Being generally located on tiny islands, their goals are: to reduce resource consumption and waste generation. to manage energy use and water conservation. o hire members of local communities and engage them in social responsibility. Protection of flora and fauna. They created a fund to support all types of environmental and social activities in which they allocate 0. 05% of their total annual revenue. One interesting idea is the Six Senses guest carbon- neutral program through which clients are enticed to donate money to help compensate the emission of carbon dioxide (CO? ) that the plane that brought them to the island produced. That fund is then distributed to NGOs that care about the reforestation of the planet. Preserving the environment with the ECHO program (Environmentally Conscious Hospitality Operations) through eco-friendly guidelines to all hotels and associates through the â€Å"reduce-reuse-recycle† process†. ITC India ITC is leading hotel in India for sustainability development. It has come up with Innovative designs, Water efficient buildings, Material resources and energy conservation steps in its various hotels . At 170,000 sq feet, ITC Green Centre is the world’s largest 0% water discharge, noncommercial Green building, and compared to similar buildings, ITC Green Centre has a 30% smaller carbon footprint. ITC is developing its hotel based on this building model and architecture. References Jauhari, Vinnie (Editor). International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, Volume 19, Issue 5 : The Hospitality Industry in India. Bradford, , GBR: Emerald Group Publishing Ltd, 2007. p 364. Saxena, Atul. New Trends in Tourism and Hotel Industry. Delhi, IND: Global Media, 2008. p 191. Brody, Derrick. Latest Trends in Hotel Industry. Delhi, , IND: Global Media, 2009. p 4. Mannan, B. A..