IHG Hotels & Resorts launches industry first 'Low Carbon Pioneers' programme as CEO calls for broader support from governments to accelerate positive change at scale
IHG Hotels & Resorts has launched the Low Carbon Pioneers programme, an industry-first initiative featuring energy-efficient hotels with no on-site fossil fuel combustion and renewable energy backing. The program aims to test, learn, and share sustainability findings, inspiring broader adoption of carbon reduction practices across IHG's estate.
The first Low Carbon Pioneer hotels include properties in Spain and Hungary, featuring sustainable solutions like high-efficiency heat pumps and fully electric kitchens. Each hotel will have an operational sustainability certification recognized by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council. IHG plans to expand the program across all regions and is developing a "low-carbon ready" group of hotels.
CEO Elie Maalouf emphasizes the need for broader government support to accelerate industry-wide change, including increased access to renewable energy and incentives for hotel owners. The program aims to future-proof properties, meet evolving guest expectations, and align with corporate clients' sustainability goals.
- Launch of industry-first Low Carbon Pioneers programme
- Implementation of sustainable solutions in participating hotels
- Development of "low-carbon ready" hotel group
- Alignment with corporate clients' sustainability goals
- Potential for stronger property valuations in the future
- initial participation with only three hotels in the program
- Dependency on government support for broader implementation
- Potential increased costs for hotel owners to meet program criteria
This group of low operational carbon hotels is the first community of its kind in the industry and will help IHG test, learn and share findings on sustainability measures. The ambition is to inspire other properties to join the programme and also help encourage wider adoption of carbon reduction practices across IHG's estate. The first Low Carbon Pioneer hotels span different IHG brands and locations at these properties:
- Holiday Inn Express Madrid Airport,
Spain - Iberostar Waves Cristina,
Spain - Kimpton BEM
Budapest, Hungary
Each Low Carbon Pioneer hotel will feature sustainable solutions such as high-efficiency heat pumps for heating and hot water generation, as well as fully electric kitchens. Every property will also have an operational sustainability certification** recognised by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council, such as Green Key, or a sustainable building certification, such as LEED, BREEAM or EDGE. To track and measure their energy data, Low Carbon Pioneer hotels will use IHG's Green Engage environmental platform.
Additional hotels will join the Low Carbon Pioneers programme across all regions and IHG is also developing a "low-carbon ready" group of hotels in preparation for when it becomes possible to fully back all energy with renewables in countries or districts where this is not currently available. The full criteria for a Low Carbon Pioneer hotel is available here.
Elie Maalouf, CEO of IHG Hotels & Resorts, said: "We are excited to launch our Low Carbon Pioneers programme as another innovative way in which we're meeting evolving guest expectations, helping our hotel owners future-proof their businesses and reducing carbon across our estate.
"This is an important next step in IHG's sustainability journey but it remains one of many we must continue to take. Accelerating change at scale for both IHG and the wider industry also requires broader support from governments ranging from greater access to renewable energy and incentives for owners, to a reduction in the cost of technology that speeds up the industry's transition to a greener, more resilient future. IHG is committed to working with industry bodies and governments to help achieve this, alongside encouraging more owners to adopt carbon reduction practices and become Low Carbon Pioneers."
Future proofing properties within IHG's estate
For IHG's hotel owners, the Low Carbon Pioneers programme can play an important role in future-proofing their businesses and as we test, learn and share findings it will also help encourage wider adoption of carbon reduction practices across IHG's estate.
Guests seeking more sustainable stays will find hotels marketed as low carbon or low carbon ready across IHG's booking channels to make it clear which ones are energy efficient, have no fossil fuels combusted on-site and are backed by renewable energy. With almost all IHG's top global corporate accounts setting net-zero or carbon-neutral targets, these hotels will be attractive to corporate clients looking to meet their own sustainable travel commitments. Energy efficient, lower operational carbon hotels can also provide potential future benefits to owners, such as greater alignment with environmental regulatory changes and better access to green finance for new projects. Collectively we believe these benefits should lead to stronger property valuations in future.
Leading the Way
IHG Hotels & Resorts recognises its responsibility as one of the world's leading hotel companies to take decisive, practical action to reduce carbon emissions. Guiding this is a Journey to Tomorrow responsible business plan to care for its people, communities and the planet, which brings colleagues, hotel owners and partners together to be a force for good. IHG is constantly developing solutions to help measure, manage and minimise the environmental impact of its thousands of hotels, from energy conservation measures as brand standards in areas such as lighting, heating and ventilation, to sourcing renewable energy and installing EV chargers.
The Low Carbon Pioneers programme builds on IHG's heritage in creating ambitious and innovative solutions to drive progress across the industry. Having been the first global hospitality company to replace bathroom miniatures with bulk amenities and to provide properties with renewable energy via a community solar programme in the US, IHG is excited to now be setting a new sustainability benchmark for hotels to help reduce operational carbon from its estate.
To learn more, visit our webpage here.
*Except for backup generators that fall below
**New hotels will have 12 months to certify from when they open.
About IHG®
IHG Hotels & Resorts [LON:IHG, NYSE:IHG (ADRs)] is a global hospitality company, with a purpose to provide True Hospitality for Good.
With a family of 19 hotel brands and IHG One Rewards, one of the world's largest hotel loyalty programmes, IHG has over 6,300 open hotels in more than 100 countries, and a development pipeline of over 2,000 properties.
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Media pack
You can find the below assets available in this folder.
- Low Carbon Pioneers film
- Photos including hero image for website/press release
- Case studies
- Programme requirements
View original content:SOURCE InterContinental Hotels Group
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