HotelsCHSB Index 2023 shows a 30% decrease in carbon footprint, but pandemic hygiene practices increase water usage by 20.2%.

Global hotels make strides in reducing carbon footprint

By Travel Weekly Asia

Jul 10, 2023

According to the CHSB Index 2023, Norway ranks as number one in terms of carbon intensity, with hotels in Norway demonstrating the lowest carbon emissions per square metre. Photo Credit: Adobe Stock/william87

The recently released CHSB Index 2023 by the Cornell Center for Hospitality Research brings encouraging news for the global hotel industry. The report highlights a remarkable reduction of over 30% in hotels' carbon footprint between 2019 and 2021.

The CHSB Index is the largest and longest-standing benchmarking tool in the hotel industry, covering energy, water, and carbon performance. It enables hoteliers to evaluate their performance and helps stakeholders assess environmental impact. The CHSB 2023 is the first post-pandemic benchmark, with participants from 646 geographies worldwide, including major hotel brands, operators, and owners.

Linda Canina, the Dr. Michael Dang Director of the Center for Hospitality Research at Cornell University's Peter and Stephanie Nolan School of Hotel Administration, stated, "We are pleased to offer the updated CHSB Index free of charge, furthering the Center for Hospitality Research's mission to increase the volume of high-quality research to support the hospitality industry, with CHSB allowing hoteliers to understand the range of energy, water, and carbon performance globally."

The CHSB Index 2023 reveals intriguing disparities in carbon intensity among countries. Norway emerges as the leader, with hotels demonstrating the lowest carbon intensity at 13.5 kg of carbon emissions per square metre.

On the other hand, hotels in Hong Kong, China, exhibit the highest carbon intensity at 214.5 kg CO2e/m2. Interestingly, countries with low carbon intensity do not necessarily have the lowest hotel energy intensity. For instance, hotels in Austria achieve the lowest energy intensity at 134.5 kilowatt hours per square metre. Moreover, the data indicates that limited-service hotels consistently outperform full-service hotels in terms of energy and carbon intensities, suggesting a potentially faster rate of decarbonisation for these establishments.

However, the global decrease in hotel occupancies due to the residual effects of the Covid-19 pandemic has had an unintended consequence. Water usage intensity has increased significantly, with a 20.2% rise in water consumption per occupied room in 2021 compared to 2019. This surge in water usage is primarily attributed to heightened hygiene and sanitary practices during the pandemic, regardless of occupancy rates.

Eric Ricaurte, CEO of Greenview and co-author of the CHSB Index, spoke about his enthusiasm of the increasing support from the hospitality industry for this initiative. Over the years, the number of CHSB participants has grown substantially, with over 25,000 contributors in 2023 compared to less than 5,000 in 2014. This growing support has enabled extensive data analysis and utilisation, thanks to the collaboration of more than 30 companies involved in the initiative.

The ten countries with the lowest carbon intensity or energy intensity for hotels are: