ITC Hotels assures commitment to people and planet
ITC Mughal was very recently awarded the LEED Zero Water Certification by the US Green Building Council (USGBC), and it is the first hotel globally to get the certification. The recognition validates ITC’s Responsible Luxury ethos that seeks to integrate planet-positive experiences in various facets of hotel operations. Anil Chadha, Divisional Chief Executive-ITC Hotels, sheds light on ITC Hotels’ achievements in Sustainability and Responsible Luxury, further revealing the visionary approach in setting new standards that positively impact the planet.
The LEED Zero is the new standard for global cities, communities, and buildings as they strive to achieve a sustainable future. The LEED Zero Certification is an embodiment of an organisation’s commitment to combat Climate Change and enables them to contribute meaningfully towards the transition to a net-zero economy. The framework recognises high-performance buildings and spaces operating with reduced greenhouse gas emissions through sustainable strategies.
ITC Mughal’s achievement is in line with ITC’s commitment to scale newer heights in creating a ‘Climate Positive and Future Tech Enterprise’. In LEED Zero Water, a balance is maintained between total potable water consumption and total alternative or recycled water use.
In addition, ITC Hotels, guided by the ethos of ‘Responsible Luxury’ have achieved another global first. The “World’s First Twelve LEED Zero Carbon Certified Hotels” are all ITC Hotel properties. LEED Zero Carbon recognises net zero carbon emissions from energy consumption through carbon emissions avoided or offset over 12 months. To obtain the certificate, a project must attain a carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) balance of zero for the past year.
“With ITC Windsor, Bengaluru being the foremost consciously designed building to help achieve the LEED Zero Carbon status for us, we swiftly moved on to ITC Grand Chola -Chennai, ITC Gardenia - Bengaluru, Welcomhotel Bengaluru, Welcomhotel Guntur, Welcomhotel Chennai, ITC Mughal - Agra, Welcomhotel Coimbatore, Sheraton New Delhi, ITC Grand Central – Mumbai, ITC Maratha – Mumbai and most recently ITC Rajputana - Jaipur,” shares Chadha.
ITC Hotels is also the largest hotel chain in the world, with 22 of its hotels being awarded the LEED Platinum Certification by USGBC. Considered the international benchmark for ecofriendly buildings, the LEED platinum rating is the highest honour given based on five categories, namely sustainable sites, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, and indoor environmental quality.
Feat after feat and in another remarkable feat and much ahead of time, ITC Hotels and Welcomhotel have achieved their 2030 carbon emission targets as per the COP21 Paris Agreement. Here, ITC Hotels’ sustainability efforts have led to:
• Over 57 per cent of electricity consumption is generated through renewable sources.
• Reducing fresh water consumption over the last 5 few years: equivalent to irrigating 100 thousand trees, sequestering 95 thousand tonnes of Co2. (approx.).
• Recycling/Reusing of more than 99 per cent of solid waste.
• Eliminating 2.5 lakh kg (annual) of single-use plastic.
• Over 50 per cent of food and beverage being locally sourced.
“Sustainability is the bedrock of all operations at ITC Hotels. ITC Hotels shall continue to create world-class luxury experiences through responsible practices which are in harmony with the environment and society,” reminds Chadha.
‘Responsible Luxury’ is another unique initiative pioneered, nurtured, and realised by ITC over the years, which they believe brought a paradigm shift in the hospitality industry towards sustainability. For the betterment of the overall industry, they have always shared their best practices with other industry colleagues and leaders. For example, their ISB case study on “Responsible Luxury” features prominently in Harvard Business Publishing and Ivey Publishing and it is taught at HBS.
Sharing more on the luxury with responsibility, Chadha mentions, “ITC Hotels blended ‘Luxury and Sustainability’ together and pioneered the concept of Responsible Luxury, integrating world-class luxury with ‘green best practices’ to enable Planet Positive luxury experiences for guests and other stakeholders. Our belief is guided by the philosophy that luxury brands must have sustainable practices embedded in them. At ITC Hotels, we call this Responsible Luxury - Luxury without compromising the earth and sustainability without compromising luxury.”
Speaking about the industry moving towards sustainable construction, Chadha says, “Sustainable construction means building with renewable and recyclable resources and materials. There are many ways in which companies can improve sustainability and reduce their carbon footprint, such as harnessing renewable energy, recycling water, using on-site water treatment plants to minimise waste and recycling and building with renewable or waste materials, treating solid waste, sourcing consumables locally, eco-sensitive architecture and design protocols that help to create a journey for a brighter tomorrow.”