By Glenn Mandziuk, CEO, Sustainable Hospitality Alliance
Growing up in the Commonwealth, I certainly felt an affinity with the British monarchy and when joining the Alliance, I learned of the connection the organisation has to His Majesty King Charles III. As we approach the King Charles III Coronation, I want to reflect on this, the journey of the Sustainable Hospitality Alliance and the King’s more than 50 years of global leadership supporting sustainability and Nature, People and Planet.
As Prince of Wales, his Majesty, King Charles, was a pioneer in advocating for the protection of our natural world.
The United Nations’ Earth Summit in Rio in 1992 was a turning point. Inspired by the then Prince of Wales, hospitality leaders recognised the “urgent need to support moral and ethical conviction with practical action” and the Sustainable Hospitality Alliance was born – originally founded as the International Hotels Environment Initiative (IHEI), part of the then Prince of Wales’s International Business Leader’s Forum.
Founded by 11 hotel company CEOs, in the early days of the IHEI my predecessors found it difficult to get sustainability on the radar in the industry. Fast forward to today and the hospitality industry is increasingly recognising the importance to move toward a more sustainable way of working with many brands now leading the way in putting sustainability first.
When we look at the issues our world faces, they require common approaches, aligned approaches, if we are to take on these challenges. The Alliance aims to tackle these challenges by bringing together the industry and collaborating, sharing knowledge to push the hospitality industry towards being a powerful force for good.
His Majesty King Charles has undoubtedly accelerated the world’s journey towards a sustainable future and here at the Alliance we thank him for his efforts, celebrate his coronation, and look forward to supporting His Majesty in his reign.
Today at the Alliance, we are proud to be the first-movers in driving the sustainability message. In recent years our membership has significantly increased demonstrating the industry’s recognition for the urgent need for action, and we are regularly invited to share our expertise at platforms with influence including United Nations conferences like the one that inspired the industry 30 years ago.
In the Carolean era we will surely see an acceleration towards sustainability. This is already evident with the Sustainable Markets Initiative (SMI). The work of the SMI centers around the Terra Carta, a framework launched by His Majesty King Charles III, in his former role as The Prince of Wales to put Nature, People and Planet at the center of our economies. The initiative has 20 taskforces, including Hospitality and Tourism, and leverages the power of the private sector in partnership with the public and philanthropic sectors.
I am so proud to be co-chairing the Hospitality and Tourism taskforce which recently announced its founding CEO members. These members have come together to drive the industry and indeed working with other industries, towards Net Positivity. I am proud our industry is today asking itself how it can positively contribute to communities and environments and are working alongside other major industries on collaborative solutions. We have indeed come a long way since the UN Summit in 1992.
The Coronation of His Majesty King Charles III demonstrates how one person’s determination can positively impact the world. His Majesty King Charles has undoubtedly accelerated the world’s journey towards a sustainable future and here at the Alliance we thank him for his efforts, celebrate his coronation, and look forward to supporting His Majesty in his reign.
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