Sustainability and hotel industry initiatives
Sustainability is one of the most important issues affecting the hospitality sector today, bringing challenges that are having a farreaching impact across the environment, from the consumption of energy and water to the use of consumable and durable goods, and solid and hazardous waste creation.
It is time for us to acknowledge that we cannot go on as we have before. We must make change a priority and ensure that the term ‘integrated sustainable development’ becomes an urgent course of action, as opposed to nothing more than hollow buzzwords.
There is a significant ethical side to the sustainability problem; severe water shortages, the effects of climate change and desertification, depleting oil reserves and barriers to renewable energy, are all wake-up calls that cannot be ignored and require us to think and act differently.
Like many other industries, hospitality is making an effort to be greener through measures that include improving the quality of the indoor environment, raising awareness on key issues among associates, guests and communities, making use of collateral materials and keeping an eye on costs.
Great progress towards these goals has been made through core initiatives, such as the adoption of low-flow faucets and fixtures, and energy-efficient equipment and lighting.
Hotels have several motivations for making sustainability a key goal. These include consumer demand, social responsibility and the incentive of reducing operational costs.
There is a growing realization that a sustainable future is one in which a healthy environment lays the foundations for economic prosperity, thereby ensuring the wellbeing and a good quality of life for both the present and future generations.
Hotels, restaurants and related establishments must rally to this transformational shift in perspective and the realization that traditionally, environmental issues are based on social, economic, political and cultural development challenges that will benefit us all, once solutions are found.