The hotel industry is not even perceived by politicians and other industries, let alone taken seriously. As we move towards a more sustainable world, in which the sector plays a major role, such disdain is felt with all the more force. The 6th HITT Think Tank concluded last week in Berlin with a discussion about teamwork and cross-border collaboration - and commitment.
Financiers, project developers, operators, institutions: On ESG, everyone should be on the same page, but progress clearly still needs to be forced. Three well-known personalities prepared the ground: Glenn Mandziuk, CEO of the Sustainable Hospitality Alliance (SHA); Sven Wiltink, Global Senior Director Sustainability at Radisson Hotel Group (RHG); and Willem van der Zee, Director of Operations Belgium at Pandox.
Their companies have been addressing ESG for many years and have set climate goals: Owner-operator Pandox, for example, aims to reduce CO2 emissions by 42% in operations and 25% in real estate by 2030. This is to be achieved through more efficient equipment, further automation and six new indicators in the areas of food waste, chemical use, heat, light, electricity/energy and water consumption, among others. In addition, the company is working on a seventh indicator in the area of employees and social affairs. As an owner, Pandox also keeps an eye on the property, for example from the point of view of how much energy can be saved in a renovation or which sustainable materials can be used in construction.
Make suggestions to the owners
"Commitment is the easiest way" to implement such goals, Sven Wiltink stressed. Communication with the property owner is important here, he said, each party must keep the other informed about what is going on. "We've seen that we can't do it alone." Ten percent of the industry's footprint comes from operations, the rest from buildings, he said. As an operator, he went on, each hotel of the more than 600 owners is analysed and the company seeks dialogue.
Radisson is trying to include sustainability clauses in contracts and is preparing suggestions for owners on how to turn their properties into net-zero properties. Here though, even a large hotel group like RHG with 1,100 hotels is still fighting against the strong lobby and the persuasive power of the real estate industry. The hotel industry needs to work more closely together and demonstrate its size, he urges.
Glenn Mandziuk has been working tirelessly on bringing the sector together with many other political institutions, hotel groups, suppliers, the manufacturing industry - ever since he was appointed CEO of SHA. "We are not seen as a sustainable industry, but rather one threatened by overtourism," he noted with disappointment in Berlin. And, unfortunately, the tourism industry is very fragmented. This has been known for a long time, but the sector has not learned anything from the past, he continued. Only the most recent crises have strengthened the drive to change. "We're not competitors [on sustainability], we need to work together, create a form for that connection." The sector needs to send a unified signal to the market that it takes ESG seriously, he said. "We have a vested interest in seeing this succeed, or our industry will cease to exist."
We must bridge the gap! A threefold appeal to operators and owners: (from left) Willem van der Zee of Pandox, Sven Wiltink from Radisson and Glenn Mandziuk from SHA.HI William Veder
More speed and tools
Part of SHA's 5-year strategy is to develop a simulator that shows hotels ways to optimize. It already provides various measurement tools. Events like the HITT help promote understanding between the different parties, Mandzuik says. "To do that, we also need to bridge the gap between owners and operators." And that requires multiplying success stories, he went on.
In addition to the - not inexpensive - optimisation of real estate, e.g., using simulation tools to create digital twins and optimise processes, other points flowed into the discussion, such as social projects, community involvement and green financing models.
Xenia zu Hohenlohe of Considerate Group, among others, called for strengthening ESG by appointing more women to boardrooms, and Zaneta Sedilekova, a young lawyer at Climate Law Lab, called for more board accountability by an extraordinary means: In one company (in another industry), "nature" took a seat on the Board and was represented by the voice of a woman. Others had "the Atlantic" on the Board.
The discussions certainly made one thing clear: All (!) members of the sector are called upon to join forces as regards ESG, to collect data and, above all, to share it. "Presently, everyone is sitting alone in their own rooms and nobody wants to know what's coming because it's too hot," Anthony Williams of Happold Engineering summed up the dilemma. "Collaboration is essential, and it will have to be done through contract."
Make your own commitment!
Eric Hofmeister, Head of Global Lodging Procurement at Siemens and also on board to provide impetus, brought another aspect into play: "The key message is that sometimes you have to give in to resistance. Embrace the change, fight your inner resistance." Hofmeister was one of the first to require a commitment from each company at the conclusion of the HITT: Only concretely formulated milestones drive the pace - and these are then also measurable. This also applies to leaders. Or they are not leaders.
Once again then, the HITT 2023 put its finger on the pulse of the times. What distinguished this Think Tank from last year's was the resolute determination of the participants to definitely roll up their sleeves and get even more colleagues from operations like Real Estate and Financing on board! And that transcends national borders. Climate change does not stop at the frontier.
HospitalityInside would like to thank all participants, experts and the sponsors for helping to further multiply the core messages of sustainability through the Think Tank. The small movement must become a big one. HITT will work on this as well. Accordingly, we have not yet set the new date and location for the next Think Tank in 2024. / map, sst
ENJOY THE HITT:
MORE PHOTOS OF THE HITT 2023, in addition to the first impressions from last week.
You can find these pictures as a video gallery here.
