The Road to Net-zero in the Indian Hotel Industry
To reduce their carbon footprint, the majority of hotel operators have reduced and eliminated single-use plastic and switched to more environmentally friendly options like refillable shampoo/soap dispensers, as well as opting out of daily linen and towel changes.
Hotel companies such as ITC Hotels and IHCL have been early adopters in this field.
Three ITC hotels in India, for example, were recently named the world's top three LEED® Zero Carbon certified hotels.
Hotels are often criticized for their conspicuous consumption, so a concerted effort to reduce consumption and waste across the board is needed, which will also help change public perception of the industry.
The industry should now consider incorporating green technologies and resources into construction so that hotels have net-zero energy consumption from the start of their life cycle.
The room2 Chiswick, an 86-room hotel in London that opened in December 2021, claims to be the first hotel in the world to achieve whole-life carbon net zero, meaning that all emissions connected with the property's construction, operations, maintenance, and eventual demolition will be zero.
The Indian hotel industry can take inspiration from these examples as well as the Sustainable Hospitality Alliance's guide on how to reduce emissions when developing properties, carrying out substantial renovations, or acquiring buildings.