Corporate Responsibility

Our carbon footprint

In 2012 we commissioned carbon footprint specialists Best Foot Forward to give us an up-to-date picture of IHG’s carbon footprint. Known as the experts’ expert, Best Foot Forward measures footprints for some of the world’s best known companies and has helped develop global carbon footprint standards.

The study used our most comprehensive set of hotel data yet. Thanks to Green Engage we were able to collect data from over 1,200 hotels worldwide, providing information on carbon emissions across regions and brands. We decided to focus on Scope 1 and 2 emissions as these are the areas where we can have greater influence over our hotels. Scope 1 covers emissions from sources that are owned or directly controlled by the hotel, such as natural gas for heating or diesel for a guest bus. Scope 2 emissions are indirect emissions and include those from purchased electricity, steam and heat with emissions occurring at the facility where they are generated.

The results are encouraging, particularly in our owned and managed estate where our hotels have been using Green Engage for three years. Here we’ve seen a 15% reduction in total carbon footprint between 2010 and 2011. The reduction per occupied room in our owned and managed hotels for the same period is 19%. For our global estate, both owned and managed and franchised, we have reduced our global carbon footprint by 76,000tCO₂e. Let’s put some of those figures into context:

• By reducing our total global carbon footprint in our owned and managed estate by 15%, is the equivalent of filling 2010 Empire State Buildings
• We have reduced our global carbon footprint by 76,000tCO₂e which would fill over 1,600 Sydney Opera Houses.

IHG's total carbon footprint

Direct and indirect emissions in our owned and managed estate for 2011

tonnes CO2e 1. Direct (Scope 1) 656,000 2. Energy indirect (Scope 2) 1,577,000 Total 2,233,000

Direct and indirect emissions in our franchised estate for 2011

tonnes CO2e 1. Direct (Scope 1) 844,000 2. Energy indirect (Scope 2) 1,594,000 Total 2,438,000

Direct and indirect emissions explained

Thanks to a new carbon calculator in Green Engage our hotels are now able to report on the carbon footprint of a night's stay or on a meeting held by a client, giving us a more accurate picture of the progress we are making to reduce our carbon footprint. It also provides carbon insight to the growing number of guests and corporate clients who want to book greener hotel rooms.

The calculator is based on the Hotel Carbon Measurement Initiative (HCMI), a standardised approach to measuring carbon footprints in our industry. We took a lead role in developing the standard, working with the International Tourism Partnership (ITP), the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) and other leading hotel companies.

Read more about the HCMI initiative.