A task force comprised of the International Tourism
Partnership, the World Travel & Tourism Council and 23 hospitality
companies this week launched a new methodology for calculating the carbon
footprint of hotel stays and events.
The group since 2011 has been working to unify methodology
around carbon footprint reporting, which can vary widely by hotel. Providing
transparency of reporting for corporate clients wanting to keep track of their
own carbon footprints was one of the aims, according to the group.
WTTC president and CEO David Scowsill last year told BTN in an interview that areas of
measurement include "every part of the hotel supply chain," including
heating units, electricity usage, restaurants and cleaning systems, broken down
to per-room carbon output.
The newly released methodology is based on the GHG Protocol Standards and has been tested in hotels of different sizes, styles and
geographies. KPMG consultants helped the group to refine the process, and global
environmental think tank World Resources Institute provided input. The task
force now will push for broader acceptance of the new methodology by hotels,
and it will continue to refine the methodology based upon user reviews and the
latest research.
Participating hotels in the task force include Accor,
Carlson Rezidor, Fairmont, Hilton, Hyatt, InterContinental, Mandarin Oriental,
Marriott, Melia, Pan Pacific, Starwood, Shangri-La and Wyndham.