FHW Staff – Mumbai
From January 1, 2015, InterContinental Hotels Group’s Green Engage programme will be rolled out across the company’s global estate of over 4,700 hotels. IHG Green Engage is an online environmental sustainability tool, which gives hotels the ability to track how much energy, carbon and water they are using, as well as assessing how waste is managed. This valuable data not only allows them to see how much they are spending and saving, but can also be given directly to IHG’s corporate clients as part of the Request for Proposal (RFP) process.
The IHG Green Engage system comprises more than 200 specific actions – or ‘Green Solutions’ – designed to reduce hotels’ environmental impact, with IHG’s managed hotels avoiding US$73 million in energy costs alone in 2013. This is another significant benefit given that utilities typically represent one of the highest expenses for hotels.
Richard Solomons, chief executive officer, IHG, said, “We know our guests care as much about sustainability as we do, so making each and every one of our properties an IHG Green Engage hotel is a great step forward for our business and for the communities in which we operate.”
IHG will take an active role in supporting the roll-out, helping hotels not currently registered to sign up and reach IHG Green Engage level one certification by the end of next year. This will include satisfying 10 Green Solutions such as the training of colleagues, tracking utility data, managing the use of non-essential lighting and implementing best practice in areas such as housekeeping and laundry.