WE CONSIDER THE ENVIRONMENT TO BE ONE OF THE MOST SIGNIFICANT AND CHALLENGING COMPONENTS OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT.
Human activity impacts the environment in various ways, including climate change, water scarcity, deforestation and land overuse. At Swissôtel, we are committed to improving and reducing our impact on the environment by:
• monitoring emissions, identifying and acting upon trends or issues
• promoting energy efficiency
• reducing waste and recycling all materials possible
• offering guests the opportunity to participate in programmes to reduce their environmental impact
• investigating all complaints and non-compliances and acting on our findings
• reporting monthly and annually on environmental performance
• ensuring that environmental training is provided to team members
• joining appropriate environmental initiatives and groups
78% of all Swissôtel properties have reduced their water consumption per guest night over the past three years, thanks to a range of measures such as engineering enhancements, laundry reduction, water-saving programmes, consumption monitoring and guest participation schemes.
Globally, water scarcity affects over one fifth of the world’s population and the United Nations estimates that by 2030, almost half of the world’s population will be living in areas with a high level of water stress. Hotels are large consumers of water, which makes the monitoring and reduction of water consumption a top priority for Swissôtel.
Since 2012, 74% of Swissôtel properties have launched energy consumption reduction programmes, including low-energy lighting, laundry reduction, team-member awareness training and purchasing green energy.
Consuming energy in the form of fossil fuels such as oil, gas and coal poses a significant threat to the planet. The carbon emissions generated by burning fossil fuels are understood to be a main cause of global warming. Current consumption levels associated with the growth of the middle-class in emerging countries will increase the demand for energy even further in the coming years. This calls for immediate action to reduce current energy consumption levels.
Swissôtel is committed to either reducing fossil fuel consumption or replacing high-carbon fuels with cleaner alternatives, wherever this is viable. Swissôtel also encourages all properties to purchase electricity from green suppliers whenever an option exists for them to do so.
CO2 accounts for over 99% of Swissôtel’s air pollution. Nearly all CO2 emissions produced by our hotels are due to energy production, either through fuel combustion at the property, in vehicles or indirectly through the purchase of electricity and other supplied energy sources.
Waste disposal has a strong negative impact on the environment – through the release of CO2, methane or particulates, the contamination of groundwater, noise and visual pollution, and energy consumption for waste treatment. Swissôtel prioritises waste disposal methods wherever possible, and each hotel has its own waste management system in accordance with ISO 14001 (Environmental Management).
for more info: https://www.swissotel.com/discover/sustainability/