Public Consultation

The consultation is open to all stakeholders, including hotels, brands, owners, operators, sustainability teams, investors, lenders, travel buyers, auditors, verifiers, consultants, NGOs, academics, and industry associations.

HCMI and HWMI are used by thousands of hotels to support customer reporting, portfolio management, and sustainability disclosures. As these methodologies evolve into formal global standards, this consultation is a critical opportunity for users to help ensure the final requirements are practical, proportionate, and aligned with real‑world hotel operations. Your input can help shape how data is calculated and used, reducing future rework and strengthening the credibility of reporting across the industry.

The public consultation is open until 15 May 2026. WSHA cannot guarantee that feedback submitted after the closing date will be considered in the review process.

Please submit all feedback via the relevant online survey form: HCMI v3.0 Consultation Survey or HWMI v2.0 Consultation Survey. Please review the relevant draft standard before completing the survey. Feedback shared with WSHA via other channels may not be considered as part of the formal consultation process.

No. You are welcome to respond to one or both surveys depending on your area of interest or expertise. Each survey covers a separate standard.

Yes. We encourage input from as many people in your organisation as possible. Each submission is valued individually — this is not a voting exercise, and all perspectives help strengthen the final standards.

At the close of the consultation, WSHA will review and analyse all feedback received, publish an anonymised summary of comments with an explanation of how each material issue was considered, and work with the Standards and Reporting Impact Committee to finalise the standards. All feedback will be evaluated against the standards’ objectives and WSHA’s governance procedures.

An anonymised summary of the consultation results will be published. Individual responses will not be attributed to specific respondents or organisations. WSHA may redact comments where necessary to protect personal data or confidential information.

WSHA’s standards development is designed to follow a structured, multi-stakeholder process with reference to the ISEAL Code of Good Practice for Sustainability Systems. The process for HCMI v3.0 and HWMI v2.0 included oversight by the Standards and Reporting Impact Committee, input from industry Working Groups comprising representatives of international hotel companies, engagement with an Industry Advisory Group, and public consultation (current phase), followed by finalisation and publication.

The Hotel Carbon Measurement Initiative Methodology Standard v3.0 (HCMI v3.0) is a methodology standard that enables hotels to measure and report the property level greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in a consistent, comparable way. It provides a common carbon metric (tCO2e) that supports reporting, benchmarking, performance tracking, accountability and decision-useful disclosures across portfolios.

HCMI v1.0 was launched in June 2012 by WSHA (then known as the International Tourism Partnership) in partnership with the World Travel and Tourism Council. It has since been adopted by over 30,000 hotels worldwide. Version 3.0 is the fourth iteration, following updates in 2020 (v1.2) and 2022 (v2.0).

HCMI v3.0 can calculate a hotel’s carbon footprint per occupied room-night or per area of meeting space (hourly) for standardised comparison. It can also calculate absolute carbon footprint (annual), carbon footprint per guest-night, or carbon footprint per property area (annual) for internal analysis and management purposes. Scope 1 and 2 metrics remain the primary output during the transition period after which intensity metrics are inclusive of Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions. For a visual overview, refer to the data flow on the HCMI v3.0 page.

Key updates in the consultation draft include: formalisation from a guidance tool into a methodology standard with clear scope, boundaries, definitions, and calculation rules; expanded Scope 3 coverage (Category 1, 3, and 5); improved consistency in calculations; updated output denominators aligned with WSHA’s Universal Sustainability KPIs; strengthened alignment with the GHG Protocol; and strengthened language, definitions, and data requirements to support future assurance and verification arrangements. For a full summary of key changes and the data flow diagram, see the HCMI v3.0 page.

The Hotel Water Measurement Initiative Methodology Standard v2.0 (HWMI v2.0) is a methodology standard that enables hotels to measure and report water withdrawal at the property level in a consistent, comparable way. It provides water intensity metrics that support reporting, benchmarking, performance tracking, accountability and decision-useful disclosures across portfolios.

HWMI was first published in September 2016, developed by ITP (now WSHA). An updated version (v1.1) was published in June 2020. Version 2.0 is the third iteration, building on the original methodology with significant enhancements.

HWMI v2.0 can calculate a hotel’s water withdrawal per occupied room-night, per guest-night, or per area of meeting space (hourly). For a visual overview, refer to the data flow on the HWMI v2.0 page.

Key updates in the consultation draft include: formalisation from a guidance tool into a methodology standard with clear scope, boundaries, definitions, and calculation rules; inclusion of new water sources; optional measurement of recycled/reused water; water scarcity context (WRI Aqueduct); encouragement of sub-metered data usage; guidance on third-party laundry water withdrawal; data quality enhancements; outlier data checks; updated output denominators; and strengthened language, definitions, and data requirements to support future assurance and verification arrangements. For a full summary of key changes and the data flow diagram, see the HWMI v2.0 page.

Upon final release, both standards are intended to remain freely accessible. They are designed primarily for hotels and operators, but can also be used or referenced by owners, investors, lenders, travel buyers, certification programmes, auditors, consultants, public sector bodies, and industry associations.

HCMI and HWMI were originally developed as guidance tools referred to as “Initiatives.” As part of this update, WSHA is formalising both into methodology standards — with clear scope, boundaries, definitions, data requirements, calculation rules, version control, and a structured review cycle. This transition reflects the maturity of the methodologies and their growing role in supporting audit-readiness, assurance, and compatibility with international reporting frameworks. The short names HCMI and HWMI are retained, as they are widely recognised across the industry.

Both methodologies have historically been supported by Excel-based calculation tools. Following the publication of HCMI v3.0 and HWMI v2.0, WSHA plans to develop updated calculation tools aligned with the new standards. WSHA is also exploring integration with its data platform (Vera-FY) to support streamlined data capture and reporting. Further details will be communicated via the official WSHA webpage as they become available.

HCMI v3.0 and HWMI v2.0 underpin WSHA’s Net Positive Hospitality Pathway by providing consistent methodologies to measure and track hotel carbon emissions and water withdrawal over time. They also support WSHA’s Universal Sustainability KPIs by translating hotel operational data into comparable metrics across properties and portfolios. Universal KPI outputs from participating hotels can populate WSHA’s data platform (Vera-FY), supporting benchmarking, reporting, and progress tracking.

HCMI v3.0 was developed to strengthen alignment with the GHG Protocol and other recognised carbon accounting practices. Both standards were developed with reference to the ISEAL Code of Good Practice for Sustainability Systems and have been designed to support compatibility, where applicable, with international reporting frameworks such as ISO 14064, ISO 14046, and sector-specific ESG disclosure requirements. WSHA continues to engage with external framework bodies to maintain relevance as these frameworks evolve.

The full draft standards are currently available in English only. Translated summaries may be made available — please check the official WSHA webpage for updates.

Following the close of the public consultation on 15 May 2026, WSHA will review all feedback and work with the governance bodies to finalise the standards. The publication date will be communicated on the official WSHA webpage.

WSHA will review both standards at least every five years and may update them sooner where relevant to reflect material changes in best practice or external requirements. This commitment is consistent with ISEAL Code requirements and is stated in both the HCMI v3.0 and HWMI v2.0 standard documents.

WSHA plans to establish a transition period, where reporting year 2026 is expected to be the first year to be calculated following the new methodologies. For most users, calculations for 2026 are expected to be conducted in the first half of 2027. Calculations for reporting year 2025 should continue to follow the prior HCMI and HWMI methodologies to maintain comparability. The detailed timeline for the transition period will be formally published by WSHA in due course.

Yes. HCMI and HWMI are intended to remain freely accessible methodology standards, and the aligned calculation tools are also intended to remain free to use. At the same time, certain commercial uses may require prior written permission from WSHA and/or be subject to separate terms or licensing requirements. WSHA will provide further guidance on this separately.

The updated standards drafts have strengthened their language, definitions, and data requirements to lay the groundwork for future external assurance. WSHA is developing a complementary assurance and claims system that will define the requirements for independent verification of HCMI and HWMI results, the conditions under which specific sustainability claims may be made, and the associated oversight mechanisms. Details will be communicated via the official WSHA webpage when available. Until this system is published and effective, all HCMI and HWMI results should be treated as self-reported and unassured.

HCMI v3.0 and HWMI v2.0 are measurement and reporting methodologies. They do not in themselves assess performance or substantiate claims such as “net positive,” “net zero,” or “carbon neutral.” Any such statements must be substantiated and communicated separately in line with applicable requirements and WSHA’s future claims and assurance arrangements. The standards include clear conditions of use that prohibit users from stating or implying that any hotel, organisation, tool, platform, data, or results are endorsed, approved, certified, verified, or assured by WSHA unless completed under WSHA’s published assurance system. WSHA monitors the use of its standards and will investigate and act on identified cases of misuse.

WSHA maintains a mechanism for stakeholders to submit feedback, complaints, or concerns about the standards, their development, or their implementation at any time. Please contact info@sustainablehospitalityalliance.org. All submissions will be documented, acknowledged, and considered in accordance with WSHA’s governance procedures.