Sustainable Hotel Group Iberostar To Be Carbon Neutral By 2030, 20 Years Ahead Of The Industry's Global Target
- The hotel group presents its decarbonization strategy at COP27.
- Iberostar's Decarbonization Roadmap has been validated by the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi) and will achieve carbon neutrality by 2030, 20 years before the global goal set by the hospitality industry.
- Iberostar will reduce
Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 85%, and Scope 3 emissions by 50%, reducing total intensity of annual emissions by 594,000 metric tons of CO2 per year.
Iberostar, an international leader in responsible tourism, will bring its carbon emissions down to zero by 2030, 20 years before the global hospitality industry target. The hotel group, headquartered in Spain with properties across Europe and the Americas, is presenting its roadmap towards decarbonization at the 27th edition of the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP27) in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt.
Iberostar is committed to reducing Scope 1 and 2 absolute greenhouse gas (GhG) emissions by 85% for 2030 with respect to its 2019 baseline. The group is committed to reducing Scope 3 absolute GhG emissions by 50% for the same year. Iberostar will also make up for remaining emissions by implementing nature-based solutions that protect and restore the ecosystems in all its destinations.
Iberostar continues to present a responsible tourism model that generates value in both people and the environment. Our clear and well-defined strategic plan
supports the ambitious commitments in our own 2030 Agenda. We are moving forward with a long-term vision, building a profitable company with a fundamental pillar of sustainability, and keeping in mind the positive impact of our work. We must move on from commitment towards implementation. Real progress demands bold, immediate actions such as those we're practicing at Iberostar. The Iberostar roadmap is based on science, data, and strong corporate leadership. Gloria Fluxà, Iberostar Group's Vice-Chairman and Chief Sustainability Officer
Iberostar Group's participation in COP27
For Iberostar Group's third COP participation, company representatives will participate in panel discussions and roundtables. Fluxà will appear as a panelist in the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) conference, "Policies and corporate strategies scaling up climate action in tourism - the Glasgow Declaration" on November 10 in the Blue Zone at 11:30 a.m. (local time). Iberostar Group Global Sustainability Director Megan Morikawa will be a panelist for the "Committee on Tourism and Sustainability" on November 10, at 4 p.m. in the Green Zone. Morikawa will also participate in the roundtable for the Food Tank panel, "Loss & Waste in Food Systems" on November 16 in the Blue Zone at 9 a.m.
Main driving forces of the decarbonization roadmap
1. Reduction of Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 85% for 2030.
- Reducing energy consumption by 35% with changes in both internal and customers behaviors through training, good energy practices, procedures and protocols for efficiency, and energy saving audits.
- Strong investment in innovative and efficient technology, involving replacement of electrical appliances, water boilers, lighting and kitchen equipment with more efficient and automated appliances regulated, in some cases, by artificial intelligence.
- Use of renewable energy in all destinations. This involves an electrification plan in the Group's hotels, where fossil fuels can be eliminated or replaced by fuels with low emission factors.
- Iberostar's decarbonization of Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 66% will involve adding up to 220 MW of renewable energy in the Group's destinations.
2. Reducing Scope 3 emissions by 50%. One of the most innovative contributions of this roadmap is the description of a full group of Scope 3 emissions, as well as a strategy to decarbonize the whole supply chain. Given that Scope 3 emissions make up 77% of Iberostar's carbon footprint, the group includes 7 GhG categories (purchase of goods and services, capital goods, downstream leased assets, activities associated with fuels and energy, employee transport, business trips and waste) covering all material elements of its emissions. With this, Iberostar will work towards:
- Leading in decarbonization regarding the purchase of goods and services, prioritizing low-emission products and services in supply-related decisions, committing to its partners in the supply chain, focusing on operations involving key materials (food, water, etc.), and implementing circularity in its hotels.
- Moving towards Net Zero buildings in new constructions and renovations, maximizing efficiency of those that already exist, prioritizing low-emission materials when investing in equipment and furniture, involving suppliers in the decarbonization process, and defining and implementing standards to boost decarbonization in hotels.
- Applying 100% of Scope 1 and 2 decarbonization efforts to downstream leased assets (such as establishments within the hotels), extending low-emission protocols to products and services offered by leaseholders and taking another step towards encouraging the presence of local communities in these spaces.
- Promoting the increase of renewable energy, electrification, and minimization of fossil fuels, prioritizing and collaborating with fuel suppliers, companies and operators to modernize the network and reduce transmission and distribution losses, as well as improving data transparency.
- Encouraging low-carbon mobility among employees through mobility plans in all the hotels and head offices (access to zero-emission vehicles and the inclusion of transport options in compensation packages) and taking a step further as far as public administration is concerned to accelerate zero-emission mobility in the group's destinations (facilities, incentives, etc.).
- Launching an employee program to prioritize the use of low-emission vehicles and collaborating with companies that have already implemented decarbonization programs (airlines, car rentals, etc.).
- Continuing to encourage the constant reduction of waste generated in the hotels (special focus on the reduction of food waste), moving towards a circular model,
and boosting the creation of waste management facilities in the different destinations.
You can check Iberostar's full decarbonization roadmap at this link.
About Iberostar
Iberostar Group is a 100% family-owned Spanish multinational company that boasts over 65 years’ experience in the tourism industry and business origins dating back to 1877. Its main line of business is Iberostar Hotels & Resorts, which includes the portfolio of up to 70 hotels in 15 countries under this agreement, with a global team of more than 25,000 people of 95 nationalities. The Group has become an international benchmark by promoting a responsible tourism business model focused on caring for people and the environment. The Wave of Change movement, a pioneering and innovative initiative from Iberostar, reflects the company’s specific commitment to the environment and oceans, and its efforts to promote these concerns to society as a whole. With sustainability as the driving force and lever behind the business, the company places the circular economy at the centre of its strategy and is working on its own 2030 agenda to be waste-free by 2025, carbon-neutral by 2030, 100% responsible in its seafood supply chain by 2025, and to improve the health of the ecosystems that surround its hotels, among other goals. Iberostar was the first hotel chain to remove single-plastic use amenities in all their hotels worldwide back in 2020. The company is a leader in quality and drives differentiation in the customer experience through constant product innovation and commitment to digitalization.
Iberostar Group is advisor to UNWTO, WTTC and World Economic Bank, and has been recognized at international level supporting and participating as speaker at Harvard University, Stanford University, COP 25-26-27, OECD and FITUR amongst others. The company has received several international awards including Eco Trophea Germany (2022) and WTM Latin America Responsible Tourism Award (2022), and has been recognized by several international media amongst the Best International Resorts in Europe and The Americas.
