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Water
1 | Starting
Corporate Office
Measure and mitigate negative impacts
Outcomes
By the end of this stage you will have achieved the following outcomes from the Pathway Framework:
Policy is in place, initial measurements done and data collected.
- Water consumption is measured and regular benchmarking is established.
- Possible sources of pollution are assessed.
- Initial water reduction targets have been set.
- Possible water-related solutions and initiatives have been investigated, a long-term plan created and immediate solutions / initiatives have been implemented.
- A linen reuse policy that requires hotel operators to develop and implement a linen reuse programme is in place [WTTC Hotel Sustainability Basics]
Setting up for success
Take ownership
Designate a lead person or team for each activity and ensure other relevant employees are aware of their roles
Review legislation related to the portfolio
Include senior leadership to make sure there is ownership and buy-in from the top-level
Raise awareness among internal stakeholders by introducing environmental and social sustainability training
Review the possibility for a monitoring system to track all environmental and social data in one location and monitor progress
Review and update governance procedures
Engage stakeholders
Conduct a stakeholder mapping to identify relevant stakeholders, and engage key stakeholders to understand their priorities
Find other brands and management companies you can learn from
Set up a process to regularly engage with hotels, to understand challenges, identify priorities, inform them of central programmes and share solutions
Understand impact & dependencies
1. Review water impacts including consumption and potential sources of pollution from runoff and contaminants.
2. Review dependencies relating to water
3. Gather available data for water consumption for all sites
4. Check water data quality and engage stakeholders to make improvements
5. Use HWMI to calculate and establish a baseline for water
6. Use CHSB to compare water performance of hotels to relevant benchmarks
7. Take stock of the initiatives you are currently doing/have done for water
Resource: Environmental Management for Hotels (Section 1.5)
Set targets
8. Set company targets, property-level targets for managed hotels, and suggest targets for franchised hotels, to reduce water consumption and pollution
Take action
9. Review available guidance to identify relevant actions which increase water efficiency and reduce pollution of water. This should consist of simple behavioural activities and low-cost technical options to be executed in the short-term (e.g. payback in 1 year or less) and a headline plan for longer-term initiatives. You should include a linen reuse programme offering guests the option to reuse linens rather than cleaning each day [WTTC Hotel Sustainability Basics]
Resource: Utilities Tracker
10. Where held centrally, review contracts with water suppliers to see if a requirement to provide water data can be added
11. Review management and franchise contracts to see if a requirement to provide water data can be added
12. Determine financial and non-financial resources needed, create a business case and gather required resources
13. Review procurement policies and make them more responsible by giving preference to items which are more water efficient
Resource: Environmental Management for Hotels (Section 1.6)
14. Inform employees about your water-related objectives and their role in achieving your targets
Reviewing & Reporting Progress
Monitor & Report
Review progress by comparing against previous performance and industry benchmarks where available (such as CHSB). Repeat on a regular basis (e.g. monthly/quarterly)
Review benefits seen through actions
Review challenges encountered along the way and plan solutions to implement
Update leadership on progress
Inform corporate customers and investors of performance and activities by including information in communications and meetings
Share your case studies with us!
As hospitality companies progress towards Net Positive Hospitality, the Sustainable Hospitality Alliance is keen to share good news and best practice from across the industry. Our Net Positive case studies are shared across our website and LinkedIn, acting as a positive space to celebrate these actions, achievements, and commitments.
We invite hotels to get involved by sending case studies to press@sustainablehospitalityalliance.org and / or tagging @Net Positive Hospitality and @Sustainable Hospitality Alliance within LinkedIn posts relating to environmental sustainability or social responsibility.
Water - PDF Checklist
Download checklist
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Test the outcomes of ESG solutions
The Net Positive Hospitality Simulation brings the Pathway to life, helping users understand the impacts of their decisions, test sustainability actions and create a tailored sustainability action plan.
2 | Advancing - Minimise negative impacts and initiate positive impacts
Ready to move onto the next stage?
Once you have completed Water – 1 | Starting, you are ready to move on to 2 | Advancing.
