If we do not take care enough care of our environment, then in just a few years to come, planet earth is likely to not be the same as we know it today. This is the reason why several stakeholders are today striving to converse and protect the environment and also educate communities on the benefits of embracing certain practices such as re-using of certain products, recycling, and even the need to use public means of transportation. An example of such stakeholders that invest in efforts towards environmental conservation are hotels. Hotels do not only promote environmental conservation by educating communities on the importance of protecting and conserving the environment but also practice environmental sustainability. What is an environmentally sustainable hotel? Sustainable hotels are those that are designed to respect the environment, and most precisely, their locations. Such hotels implement efficient lighting systems to their facilities, try to generate their own energy, use low pressure water installation systems, minimize consumption of natural resources, strive to reduce emissions to the environment, treat their waste materials, and also consume local products and services (help the local communities). Hyatt Hotels are an example of such organizations that have well illustrated programs aimed at promoting sustainability.
Overview of the Hyatt Hotels Sustainability Program
Hyatt has been an industry leader for tracking comprehensive global energy and water since the year 2006. However, the corporation has set aside a series of environmental goals aimed at strengthening Hyatt’s collective capacity to collaborate, enthuse, as well as broaden its devotion to environmental stewardship by the year 2020. Collectively referred to as the Hyatt 2020 Vision, these neoteric and ambitious environmental goals describe a set assessable and actionable foci across three main target areas – build smart, use resources thoughtfully, and innovate and inspire (“Hyatt unveils new 2020,” 2014). The goals of Hyatt 2020 Vision is to bring together all Hyatt hotels from around the globe to create a more sustainable future.
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Build Smart
Hyatt aims to work in collaboration with other stakeholders so as to create emphasis on building more efficient, environmentally cognizant hotels across the enterprise. Since 2015, all construction and renovation projects contracted for Hyatt managed hotels have been built in such a way that they follow enhanced sustainable design guidelines. This is also a move expected to carry on into the future. All new construction and major renovation projects foe wholly owned full service resorts and hotels are expected to achieve LEED certification, or an equivalent of accreditation (“Hyatt unveils new 2020,” 2014).
Use Resources Thoughtfully
Hyatt Hotels Corporation is committed to scrutinizing how its hotels acquire, utilize, and manage natural resources to serve their clients. Hyatt is determined to cutting down energy consumption and also minimize emission of greenhouse gases, produce less waste material, use less water, and make more environmentally friendly purchasing decisions. Hyatt for example, set the goal to reduce water consumption per guest per night by 25% (“Hyatt unveils new 2020,” 2014). The limits are even stricter in areas experiencing water scarcity with a 30% reduction in water consumption per client per night set for such areas. Additionally, Hyatt also has set the goal of furthering its recycling efforts. Under this program, every hotel affiliated to the Hyatt family is challenged to reach a 40% diversion rate, and even setting goals for recycling of wastes (“Hyatt unveils new 2020,” 2014).
Innovate and Inspire
This strategy reflects Hyatt Corporation’s commitment to be a stimulus for bringing more hearts, minds and hands together with an ambition of advancing environmental sustainability throughout the world. Hyatt has a commitment to facilitate a funding mechanism aimed at supporting environmental sustainability, supporting ideation as well as acceleration of sustainable solutions (“Hyatt unveils new 2020,” 2014). Hyatt is also focused on working together with other stakeholders to find solutions to some of the environmental challenges (“Setting goals to tackle,” 2018).
Benefits of the Sustainability Program
Hyatt Corporation’s sustainability program is aimed at bringing about a lot of benefits by the year 2020. One such benefit is reduction of both land, water, and air pollution. According to a publication on Hyatt’s website, the corporation is determined to encouraging re-using and recycling of certain objectives that can be re-used or recycled (“Setting goals to tackle,” 2018). In addition, Hyatt hotels are also dedicated to reduce the volume of single-use plastics such as drink picks and straws (“Hyatt announces global efforts,” 2018). These strategies are aimed at reducing land pollution effects of plastic waste products. The corporation’s efforts to minimizing air pollution and water pollution respectively are reduction of food wastes and treatment of their waste products, for example sewer products. Food wastes are mainly organic in nature and are known to release methane gas following decomposition. This gas is harmful not only because it is a pollutant, but it also causes ozone layer depletion (Brooksbank, 2018). By limiting food waste production, Hyatt hotels shall have spared planet earth of both pollution and also from damage of its ozone layer.
Another benefit of the Hyatt hotels’ sustainability program is tied to the corporation’s goal of limiting energy use. Limiting energy use will consequently result into conservation of mother earth’s natural resources such as forests (Setting goals to tackle,” 2018). Hyatt hotels also aspire to thoughtfully source their food, a move that could largely benefit local communities (“Striving for broader impact,” 2018).
Disadvantages
Some of the disadvantages (challenges) of the Hyatt hotels sustainability program is that, first, it could prove costly in the long run. Being there to clear one’s own mess is not a bad thing, however, conversion expenses of waste products may prove to be too costly. These expenses may cause the corporation to raise the costs of its services and even products to ensure business sustainability (Dorfman, 2011).
Another challenge to Hyatt Corporation’s sustainability program may be lack of support from relevant stakeholders. Hyatt hotels alone cannot create a huge impact in terms of environmental conservation when other corporations are not equally as determined to ensuring environmental conservation as the corporation is (Dorfman, 2011). Hyatt may aspire to go green but this does not mean a lot when everybody else does not share the same aspirations.
Results of Hyatt’s Sustainability Program
The sustainability program has yielded a number of positive results. Such an example is reductions in water and energy consumption, as well as reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by properties within the corporation’s portfolio. Hyatt’s most recent hotels and resorts have also been built to LEED certification, thanks to the sustainability program (“Hyatt unveils new 2020,” 2014). The sustainability program has also led to conservation of natural resources and also benefited local communities in the areas Hyatt properties are located (“A message from our president,” 2018).
Any Concerns and Issues related to the Sustainability Program
One probable issue related to the efforts of Hyatt Corporation in bringing about environmental sustainability is the likelihood of encountering customer backlash. There is an actual probability that the business may intentionally overstate the extent to which their products and even buildings comply with the prerequisites of environmental conservation for the sake of building its reputation. This is something not everybody may not quite seem to buy into. The group of hotels may suffer harms to its credibility this way.
Any other Issue Pertaining to Sustainability
Is environmental sustainability really worth the effort it takes to realize it? This is one of the many issues/questions related to sustainability that one may ask him/herself. Sometimes going green (sustainability) may be easy to realize, hence; a worthwhile business pursuit. However, sometimes it could prove costly and not a wise business decision to make. Therefore, should a business choose to or not to pursue environmental sustainability because of related costs? Or should corporations embrace sustainability for the love of the planet regardless of how much it could cost? The answers to these issues pertaining to sustainability are varied dependent on corporate missions, and even corporate moral responsibilities.
References
A message from our president and CEO. (2018). Hyatt. Retrieved December 11, 2018 from https://about.hyatt.com/content/dam/HyattStories/thrive/CR-Scorecard-2016.pdf
Brooksbank, K. (2018). Composting to avoid methane production. Agriculture and Food. Retrieved December 11, 2018 from https://www.agric.wa.gov.au/climate-change/composting-avoid-methane-production
Dorfman, Z. (2011). Sustainability forum: what are the limitations and benefits of the sustainability approach? Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs. Retrieved December 11, 2018 from https://www.carnegiecouncil.org/publications/articles_papers_reports/0103
Hyatt announces global efforts to reduce single-use plastics. (2018). Business Wire. Retrieved from https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180709005135/en/Hyatt-Announces-Global-Efforts-Reduce-Single-Use-Plastics
Hyatt unveils new 2020 environmental sustainability strategy. (2014). Hyatt. Retrieved December 10, 2018 from https://newsroom.hyatt.com/2014-08-28-Hyatt-Unveils-New-2020-Environmental-Sustainability-Strategy
Setting goals to tackle environmental challenges. (2018). Hyatt. Retrieved from https://about.hyatt.com/en/hyatt-thrive/our-planet.html
Striving for broader impact. (2018). Hyatt. Retrieved from https://about.hyatt.com/en/hyatt-thrive/responsible-sourcing.html
