Under the new programme, Low Carbon Pioneer hotels will feature solutions such as fully electric kitchens and other sustainable options. Photo Credit: IHG Hotels & Resorts
IHG Hotels & Resorts has launched its Low Carbon Pioneers programme, which aims to bring together energy-efficient hotels that have no fossil fuels combusted on-site and are backed by renewable energy.
As the first community of its kind, this group of low-operational carbon hotels will work to encourage wider adoption of carbon reduction practices across IHG’s portfolio of properties.
The programme currently includes IHG’s trio of properties in Europe –Holiday Inn Express Madrid Airport, Spain; Iberostar Waves Cristina, Spain; and Kimpton BEM Budapest, Hungary.
Each Low Carbon Pioneer hotel will feature sustainable solutions such as high-efficiency heat pumps for heating and hot water generation, as well as fully electric kitchens.
Every property will also have an operational sustainability certification recognised by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council, such as Green Key, or a sustainable building certification, such as LEED, BREEAM or EDGE. To track and measure their energy data, Low Carbon Pioneer hotels will use IHG’s Green Engage environmental platform.
Additional hotels will be able to join the Low Carbon Pioneers programme across all regions, with IHG developing a “low carbon ready” group of hotels in preparation for when the group deems it possible for these hotels to fully back all energy with renewables, especially in territories where this option is not currently available.
Guests seeking more sustainable stays will find hotels marketed as low carbon or low carbon ready across IHG’s booking channels to indicate which ones are energy efficient, have no fossil fuels combusted on-site and are backed by renewable energy.
“This is an important next step in IHG’s sustainability journey, but it remains one of many we must continue to take,” said Elie Maalouf, CEO of IHG Hotels & Resorts. “We are excited to launch our Low Carbon Pioneers programme as another innovative way in which we’re meeting evolving guest expectations, helping our hotel owners future-proof their businesses and reducing carbon across our estate.”