As we enter a decisive decade for sustainability, is the window of opportunity for hotels closing?

Following a decade of growth which brought jobs and fostered local and regional development, the tourism and hotel industry has repeatedly outperformed the global economy.

More than 3,000 new hotels will open their doors in 2020 alone. However, the industry is also responsible for nearly one-tenth of all carbon emissions globally, with the hotel sector accounting for almost a quarter of all tourism emissions.

Under the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, the hotel sector must reduce its greenhouse gas emissions per room per year by 66 percent by 2030 and 90 percent by 2050 compared to 2010 (ITP, 2017). The technology required to decarbonize the industry is available now.

How do you see the calls for more sustainability within your organization and, in particular, our responsibility to bring about a carbon-neutral future?

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Suphajee Suthumpun
Suphajee Suthumpun
Group CEO at Dusit International

Considering the collective impact the hospitality industry has on the environment, especially in terms of resource consumption and waste, going green is no longer a debate – it's a priority – and we believe that every effort, by every hotel company, counts towards bringing a carbon-neutral future.

At Dusit, we take our role as community stewards seriously, and we are constantly seeking ways to reduce waste, conserve energy, and promote eco-friendly practices across our entire operations. In 2018, we established our Sustainability Committee to help drive sustainability performance in our hotels. We also established our Sustainability Policy and 2020 Environmental Goals for energy, GHGs, water and food waste to further lessen our impact on the environment. This includes striving to reduce single use plastic in our hotels, and finding innovative ways to reduce carbon emissions such as using solar energy and sourcing ingredients from local organic farmers to limit transportation and support sustainable farming practices. 

A shining example in this regard is Dusit Thani Maldives. Since its inception, the resort has been a sustainability leader in our hotel group. The whole team strongly adheres to sustainable operations, which go far beyond the scope of any normal hotel's standards. From recycling waste water and plastic onsite to producing its own electricity through solar energy, Dusit Thani Maldives is showing the world that sustainability is an essential way of life, and providing a template for all of our hotels to follow.

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