Global Hotels Commit to Sustainable Practices

More than 5,000 hotels across 80 countries are stepping up to tackle their environmental impact through the World Travel and Tourism Council’s (WTTC) Sustainability Basics programme.

With tourism contributing around 8% to global GDP and accounting for over 8% of carbon emissions, the need for sustainable action has never been more pressing.

WTTC’s Hotel Sustainability Basics

The WTTC's Hotel Sustainability Basics programme offers a simple, standardised framework to guide hotels in their sustainability journey.

Centred on 12 core actions, it focuses on three main areas: efficiency, people and planet. These actions include reducing energy and water consumption, cutting carbon emissions, minimising waste and adopting environmentally friendly practices such as using green cleaning products and offering vegetarian menu options.

Major players in the hospitality industry, including Accor, Radisson Hotel Group and Indian Hotels Company, have endorsed the initiative.

The programme’s success is measured through independent verification by respected bodies like Green Key and SGS, ensuring that real, tangible progress is being made.

Sébastien Bazin, Chairman and CEO of Accor, describes the framework as "a useful step towards ambitious sustainability goals" for the entire industry.

Accor’s leadership in sustainability

Accor, Europe’s largest hospitality company, has been at the forefront of sustainable practices for over 30 years.

With over 5,100 hotels worldwide, under well-known brands like Ibis, Mercure and Sofitel, Accor is pushing harder than ever to reduce its carbon footprint.

The company has set clear targets, including a 46% reduction in emissions across Scopes 1 and 2 and a 28% reduction in Scope 3 emissions by 2030.

Accor is also aiming for net-zero emissions by 2050 and these goals have been validated by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi).

Brune Poirson, Accor’s Chief Sustainability Officer, stresses the importance of transparency in this transformation, noting that almost 80% of Accor’s hotels have already eliminated 57 single-use plastic items.

"We believe that transparency and sincerity are the shortest route towards a successful transformation: it creates responsibility and trust,” she says, highlighting the company’s commitment to openness and accountability in its sustainability journey.

Indian Hotels Company’s sustainable vision

These efforts by global hotel giants reflect a growing commitment within the industry to embrace sustainability and mitigate the impacts of climate change.

The Indian Hotels Company (IHCL), part of the Tata Group and operator of brands such as Taj, Vivanta and Ginger, is also playing a leading role in the hospitality sector’s sustainability efforts.

Through its Paathya framework, IHCL is aiming to drive change with a focus on trust, awareness and joy.

By 2030, IHCL plans to source 50% of its energy from renewable sources, eliminate single-use plastics across its properties and recycle 100% of its wastewater.

Puneet Chhatwal, Managing Director and CEO of IHCL, sees the WTTC’s programme as a crucial driver for the industry: "Paathya’s many initiatives reflect the globally recognised sustainability indicators for hotels, as defined by the Hotel Sustainability Basics."

These moves by industry giants highlight a clear trend: the hospitality sector is beginning to take its responsibility to the planet seriously, with hotels around the world working to mitigate the impacts of climate change and safeguard the future of tourism.

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