The carbon footprint of hotels

Climate protection is on everyone's lips and the topic of "sustainability" in hotels is very diverse. Sustainability begins with the hotel restaurant menu containing as many regional and seasonal dishes as possible, in organic quality and with a high proportion of plant-based products. But sustainable organic gastronomy is only a first step in the right direction.

How can hotels improve their carbon footprint?

Sustainable hotels use biodegradable cleaning products , use recycled paper , use green electricity , implement water-saving measures and pay attention to waste avoidance and correct waste separation, to name just a few examples. The entire building biology of the hotel during renovation or insulation measures should also be as ecological as possible.

Determination of the CO2 footprint of hotels / organic hotels

Every guest in a hotel consumes a certain amount of CO2 emissions per night, which can be measured according to various criteria. Are we as a hotel already climate positive or have we overlooked crucial details so far? The precise determination and certification of hotels with their CO2 footprint is carried out by Viabono GmbH ( https://www.viabono.de/ ), for example.

climate efficiency classes

Viabono divides hotels into six climate efficiency classes (AF). These values, which the hotel causes within a year, are calculated on a scientific basis. A practical and validated questionnaire collects general data on the size and equipment of the business, as well as data from the areas of buildings, print, mobility, cleaning/laundry, food & beverage (F & B) and others.

The journey of the employees is also included in the calculation. This allows the CO2 emissions per guest and overnight stay to be calculated. Once this value is known, appropriate measures can be taken to improve the company's own sustainability. Once a hotel has internalized all of these criteria, it can gradually reduce the hotel's carbon footprint to a minimum.

Average CO2 consumption per guest per night in a hotel

The CO2 emissions from the Swiss hotel industry, for example, are between around 390,000 and 530,000 tons of CO2 per year. According to a Swiss study*, the average hotel guest consumes the following CO2 emissions:

The hotel and restaurant association DEHOGA assumes the following energy-related CO2 emissions per overnight stay (N):

Source of figures: DEHOGA energy campaign, surveys by DEHOGA regional associations, environmental statements, as of: 2014 ( https://www.dehoga-bundesverband.de/fileadmin/Startseite/05_Themen/Energie/DEHOGA_Umweltbroschu__re_Oktober_2016.pdf )

Climate-friendly organic hotels that actively work to reduce this footprint through ecological measures are able to keep these emissions at well below 10 kg CO2 per guest per night .

Particularly decisive factors

The emission load depends on many factors. The fact that CO2 emissions have a lot to do with the food on offer is shown by Will Brookes' assessment² that the transport emissions of regional food are eight times lower than products imported from overseas. The CO2 footprint of food is not only related to regionality, but also to the choice of food. Meat dishes and dishes with animal products have an immensely greater impact on the climate than a purely vegan cuisine . An organic vegan hotel therefore has a noticeable advantage in terms of its CO2 footprint over a hotel with meat on the menu.

In our search filter , guests can specify the maximum CO2 consumption in kg that the desired hotel should have under the heading " Sustainability ".

Hotels with a maximum CO2 footprint of 15 kg per guest/night

* "Energy efficiency and CO2 emissions in the Swiss hotel industry"
² “The Environmental Sustainability of the British Restaurant Industry: A London Case Study”, 2007