Scenic Hotel Group has delivered to its corporate customers ‘sustainable stays’ through carbon-zero room rates. Scenic Hotel Group CEO Karl Luxon says, “The initiative, believed to be the first of its kind, is one of many that the group has delivered as part of its commitment toward a more climate-friendly and sustainable industry.”

This year, Scenic Hotel Group amplified its position as a sustainable organisation that has long been committed to the people and places it serves. This included an organisation-wide audit and evaluation of operations. Part of this process included calculating the carbon emissions of each hotel. Scenic Hotel Group Environmental Policy Advisor Richard Hayman described this as a “Big but fundamental piece of work.” The undertaking enabled the group to calculate energy generation through general power usage and high-energy units such as refrigeration, kitchen ovens, and cooling and heating systems. Other elements, such as energy-hungry server rooms, were transitioned to cloud applications.

Luxon says the result of extensive consultation and engagement, together with some highly quantifiable activities, has enabled the group to accurately calculate and reduce carbon emissions through a high-trust carbon offsetting programme. The offset programme offers an immediate and positive impact, delivered by B-Corp-certified Kiwi company, CarbonClick, a global leader in offsetting excellence. This offsetting activity is just one of several emissions reducing activities that the group is engaged in and will continue to develop as a critical part of the overall sustainability journey. Luxon points out that there is “A great deal more to bringing about climate-positive action than only purchasing offsets, but there is a place for this as an immediate and effective tool in the overall suite of actions and opportunities available to businesses.”

In terms of the industry-wide challenge to create a more sustainable future, Scenic Hotel Group CEO Karl Luxon said this is a “Challenge we are tackling head-on across all aspects of the business. Delivering carbon-zero room rates is just one demonstration of climate-positive action that we are taking across the organisation.”

According to the Sustainable Hospitality Alliance, hotels are responsible for between 10 and 20 per cent of the tourism industry’s overall greenhouse gas emissions. To limit global warming, the hotel industry needs to reduce its carbon emissions by an estimated 90 per cent per room by 2050.

With emissions emanating from nearly every step of the traveller journey, Scenic Hotel Group is proud to be leading the charge on cooling this impact at the point of stay. “Travellers have had the option to offset their flights for some time now, and the vehicle journey also offers many more climate-friendly options, so it makes sense to do our part in the travel experience chain with carbon-neutral room rates.”

“As climate change worsens and awareness grows, consumers are actively seeking more sustainable travel options. We are optimistic that travellers of all walks of life will see the value in our carbon-zero rooms, and soon this will become the norm throughout New Zealand.”

Media Enquiries:

Kelly Watson
National Marketing Manager
P: 03 357 1941
E: kellyw@scenichotelgroup.co.nz

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