Sustainability

Personal Carbon Allowances I am fundamentally against these proposals for a number of reasons It keeps making the Climate Crisis an individual problem and lets the 100 companies worldwide who are responsible for 71% of all emissions off the hook – blame the individual, make us all feel guilty.

Whilst on the surface the concept has merits – it assigns personal responsibility to impact and forces individuals to shift behaviour based on their actions – but in reality, who would manage, ensure compliance and cover the costs associated with such a significant program?

It is becoming more and more difficult to reach the goal of the Paris Agreement and keep global warming well below 2 degree C. It is therefore understandable that PAC is back on the table. In my vision of sustainability, developed with George Curiel back in 2012 and entrusted to the 'Three Levels of Sustainability' book recently published in a second edition, we argue that responsibility should be taken not only at the level of societies and organisations, but also at the individual level.

The failure of circularity so far has a lot to do with the perceived bennefits for companies, and the hospitality industry is no different. The purpose of circularity is not clear for managers if it is not connected to key performance indicators at corporate level.

Circularity as a concept faces restraints in hospitality companies. One explanation could be that hospitality managers hardly ever control the entire product or resource cycle from cradle to grave/ cradle. That being said, efforts for 1) improved recycling, 2) waste reduction and 3) utilization of used and recycling materials and resources has become a reality in most companies.

Embedding circular economy principles into hospitality is not a myth, but a necessary ambition. It is crucial that the industry transitions away from a linear and extractive business model to a circular model with regenerative environmental impacts.