Hotelbeds certified as carbon neutral for the third year running

Coming hot on the heels of our Green Hotels Programme launch, which identifies, highlights and promotes sustainable accommodation within our hotel portfolio, we are pleased to announce our certification as a carbon neutral company for the third year in a row, another ‘plus’ in our ambition to fuel the recovery by doing all that we can to show we are a responsible, ethical business.

Certified through analysis of our carbon footprint by the independent body, Carbon Footprint Ltd, the accreditation demonstrates our commitment over the past three years to reduce our environmental impact and ensure long-term sustainability by offsetting the carbon emissions we generate.

But how have we done it?

During 2018, we created a programme where a fee was paid for every business flight taken by an employee. The money generated was then used to finance a carbon neutral project, helping to encourage reduction in travel and increase awareness around the importance of carbon offsetting.

The funds raised from this programme were also donated to the Portel-Pará Deforestation Project, located in the Brazilian Amazon, home to the largest remaining rainforest on our planet, to help prevent unplanned deforestation.

In 2019, Hotelbeds chose to give the funds to the Renewable Energy Project in India which manages the installation of solar panels across the country.

And this year, Hotelbeds will be supporting the Verified Carbon Standard certified Guohua Tongliao Kezuo Zhongqi Phase 1 Wind Power project in China, which aims to reduce carbon emissions through the displacement of fossil fuels. This project will also help to combat climate change and protect our environment for future generations.

Gareth Matthews, Marketing, Communications and CSR Director at Hotelbeds, said: “We are proud to be certified a Carbon Neutral organisation for the third consecutive year. This really underscores our sustainable business ethos and sets a great example both to our staff and the wider travel industry.

“As leaders in the travel industry we want to be at the forefront of environmental consciousness, inspiring both other companies and even individual travellers by reducing our emissions where possible and off-setting the rest.”

As part of the certification process, carbon emission calculations – including energy and paper consumptions, waste management, business travel and water supply – were conducted by Hotelbeds, using metrics devised by Carbon Footprint Ltd.

Carbon Footprint Ltd has also successfully completed a verification of the carbon footprint assessment for Hotelbeds. This included spot-checking source data from across the company as well as reviewing the overall methodology.