World Earth Day: The top carbon-netural hotels across the world
- Featured Travel & Hospitality
Schenelle Dsouza- 8 minutes read
Schenelle Dsouza
In recent times, sustainability and eco-consciousness have become an important practice for many including the hospitality sector. One of the largest growing sectors, the hotel industry is also one of the major contributors to global carbon emissions. Keeping up with the times, hotels have begun to employ sustainable practices using eco-friendly building methods. However, few hotels have gone a step further to ensure a carbon-neutral environment altogether. What this means is that they use the same amount of carbon dioxide as they release. These could include practices like replanting and reforestation, energy-saving, reusing rainwater, and appropriate waste disposal.
Take a look at some of the top carbon neutral hotels in the world.
Alohilani Resort Waikiki Beach, Hawaii
An award-winning resort in Honolulu, the Alohilani Resort Waikiki Beach announced its commitment to become a carbon-neutral hotel back in February last year. Since then, the hotel has been carbon neutral for Scope 1 (direct carbon emissions), Scope 2 (electricity consumption) and a portion of Scope 3 (emissions from its supply chain). The resort also announced its commitment to earning the PAS 2060 carbon neutral certification, which will then be verified by Dekra, an international testing, inspection and certification organization based in Germany. Although the hotel is still working on earning the certification, Alohilani doubled its efforts by expanding its existing partnership with the Hawaiian Legacy Reforestation Initiative and Legacy Carbon. As per the partnership, Alohilani will plant as many as 100,000 indigenous trees in its Legacy Forest which will help offset the property’s carbon emissions. Additionally, the hotel is 100% powered by renewable electricity.
BOAT&CO, Netherlands
An apartment hotel on the waterfront in Amsterdam, Boat&Co might look like a mundane factory-like building on the outside, however, it is nonetheless one of the most prominent structures in Amsterdam. Its sustainability-led practices catering to the environment helped transform the surrounding area into the first climate-neutral neighbourhood in Amsterdam. The hotel itself was built using Cradle to Cradle principles which go beyond using recyclable materials. Instead, it models nature’s processes that view materials as regenerative allowing them to last longer and be used for different purposes. Their ingenious sustainability practices are another major drop in the hat. Innovations like thermal energy storage systems for heating and cooling, solar panelled roofs, construction materials that produce zero waste, and bathrooms fitted with water-saving showers and taps, have all catered to creating a climate-neutral environment.
ITC Hotels Group, India
While most hotels on this list are recognised as carbon-neutral properties, no hotel has ever claimed to be net zero carbon. However, ten properties of the ITC Hotel Group have now earned the LEED Zero Carbon Certification” of USGBC United States Green Building Council (USGBC). These include the ITC Windsor, Bengaluru; ITC Grand Chola, Chennai; ITC Gardenia, Bengaluru; Welcomhotel Bengaluru; Welcomhotel Guntur; Welcomhotel Chennai; ITC Mughal, Agra; Welcomhotel Coimbatore; Welcomhotel Sheraton New Delhi; and ITC Grand Central, Mumbai. LEED Zero, developed by the USGBC recognized buildings operating with Net Zero Carbon emissions on annual basis. The certification provides a transparent accounting of the carbon balance i.e. carbon emitted due to energy consumption and occupant transportation v/s carbon avoided to achieve net zero certification, the entity’s carbon balance should be either ‘0’ or negative.
Pumpkin Island Eco Retreat, Australia
Australia’s first fully carbon-neutral hotel, Pumpkin Island is a private island in the Keppel Islands, located about 14 kilometres off the coast from Yeppoon, Australia. The small island is an eco-retreat offering accommodation for a maximum of 34 guests at a time. Named the “Most Sustainable Hotel in Australasia” at the 2018 World Boutique Hotel Awards, the hotel operates off the grid using hydro, solar and wind energy to power itself. All the water used at the hotel comes via filtered rainwater; the hotel also ensures reduced waste production and increased composting. Moreover, the hotel offsets 150% of its annual greenhouse gas emissions making it more than just carbon-neutral. Travellers are allowed to engage with the wildlife, see dolphins, turtles and whales, and snorkel and kayak around, so long as they abide by the sustainability regulations put up by the hotel.
Sani Resort, Greece
Committed to contributing to the fight against climate change, Sani Resort successfully became the first carbon-neutral resort in Greece. Home to 225 bird species, 110 hectares of protected wetlands and miles of fine golden beach, Sani has been running on 100% renewable energy since 2019 and has shown applaudable recycling practices, having recycled over 219 tonnes of glass in 2021 while ensuring a ban on single-use plastics. Another prominent change, the resort underwent an electrification process wherein the resort now sources electricity exclusively from renewable sources. As for its carbon neutral status, Sani Resort holds the carbon neutral status for Scopes Ι&ΙΙ attained through an investment in renewable energy Clean Development Mechanism Projects (CDM) in the developing world certified by the United Nations. Sani Resort’s greenhouse gas emissions and renewable energy projects are in the process of receiving certification by ISO 14064. Sani’s vision for the future includes becoming plastic- and waste-free by 2024.
The Stay Hotels, Turkey
