In my experience, most of the independent SME accommodation owners with whom I have worked start on their sustainability journey with positivity and engagement, yet few continue to maintain both over time. The problem seems to lie in the underestimation of the time and commitment required to overhaul the operational processes in every department, a procedure essential to achieving continuous sustainability outcomes over time.  Despite making business owners aware that their sustainability journey will require fundamental changes from the outset, it seems they do not fully grasp what this actually means until we move forwards. Then as we do, and awareness sets in, so does what I can only describe as reticence, or is it really  fear?

Why does implementing change seem to be such a challenge? Because it requires that people change the way they currently do things.  

This situation, in part, answers the first question about the specific sustainability failures I have experienced. We are surrounded by information about what needs to be done, but getting PEOPLE to do things differently is much harder. As a specialist in sustainability education, I have repeatedly observed a significant drop off in commitment from SME business owners when it comes to asking their staff to undertake training. The only times this reticence is absent is when the business owner FULLY understands – and accepts - that the changes required will not happen overnight and will not necessarily bring financial advantage in the short term.

So, what is the answer to this? Is it shorter, faster, easier training courses on sustainability for busy staff? While glossing over the details can raise some degree of awareness, what really generates results is handholding SME business owners via a personalised feedback mechanism where they are asked to check in and report back on the progress and results of their actions, staff training completion being one of them (more on this below).   

A more generalised failure I have detected through many conversations with SME accommodation business owners is the lack of available funding to upgrade or exchange machinery and appliances for more eco-friendly alternatives. Quoting from a values-driven business owner I worked with last year: We are already doing all we can to run a more sustainable business, eliminating single-use plastics, a drive to reduce food waste, etc. What we are lacking are the resources to upgrade, measure and monitor our emissions.

However, when presented with the funding options available where that business is located, as well as strategic ways to measure and monitor baseline emissions, the conversations dropped off. When I questioned why, time was isolated as the reason that the monitoring system I had proposed had not been implemented. Yes, time is scarce, but the underlying reason this project did not run to completion was because the owner simply did not see this as a priority when running a busy hotel. Staffing issues and rising costs continue to fully occupy an SME business owner's mind. At the risk of sounding defeatist, it does seem that until measuring and reporting on sustainability actions and outcomes becomes compulsory for all businesses regardless of size, we will continue to face this reticence.

Moving onto question 2, how can hospitality companies create a culture where sustainability failures are openly discussed and used for learning purposes?

I believe that creating a culture where sustainability failures (and wins!) are openly discussed is best managed at destination level. Which sustainability challenges matter the most is often dictated by geographical location. Island destinations have different priorities to urban locations. Places with healthy rainfall have different concerns to drought prone geographies. If DMOs could get local companies to participate in conversations around priorities and what has not worked for them to date in regard to those concerns, the results would surely be more impactful.

How can hotels balance transparency about their sustainability shortcomings while maintaining trust and competitive positioning?

If I were to sit at breakfast in a hotel and read a short, bullet point list stating what sustainability outcomes have been achieved in the last 3 months and what the property is currently working on, I would immediately feel engaged and would trust what I read. We need to drastically reduce the anxiety that companies should not be talking about what there is still to do out of fear of greenwashing. There will ALWAYS be more to do. Clearly stating what has been achieved by showcasing measurable results and setting out what is next on that to-do list - that is the route to truly powerful authentic transparency. In my opinion the only superpower this requires is bravery, plus of course a clear strategy that is tailored to the business and location.

What incentives or frameworks could encourage more companies to adopt an approach of documenting and learning from sustainability failures?

Documenting and learning from failures is hard. I provide implementation feedback to those completing my marketing sustainability short course where users receive personalised advice on their short-, mid-, and long-term sustainability action plans. While it can feel academic, it also provides the much needed, tailored support that I feel many sustainability education programmes are lacking. Working with my clients in this way has generated positive incentives to stay on track during the first part of their sustainability journey, however, an extended package of one-on-one support to ensure that sustained actions and results continue over time can cost more than most SME business owners are willing to pay. Unfortunately, sustainability continues not to be a priority, and until reporting becomes compulsory, I feel this situation will not change.

Recent news that the scope of the CSRD will be reduced as well as the timelines pushed back¹, is a major setback as it only serves to confirm that work on sustainability can be shelved for a while, that it's ok to stick our heads in the sand. As previously mentioned, what we need is bravery. We need more business owners to admit that not enough is being done, that we are in fact failing the planet and future generations. The biggest failure of all is not doing anything, standing on the sidelines waiting to see who makes the first move. A combination of courage, commitment and values-driven decision-making is the antidote to these accumulated failures. Admitting that today is better than tomorrow while accepting that the task is big and yes, that it involves a LOT of moving parts to change and a LOT of people to educate; yet still being brave enough to take that first step. That is the manifestation of admitting failure to date but committing to do something different from now on.   

^1. https://www.businesstravelnewseurope.com/Management/EU-Parliament-agrees-to-delay-CSRD-rollout