According to the "Choice Hotels International 2022 Environmental, Social and Governance Report," 70 percent of Choice’s midscale domestic hotels have eliminated the use of polystyrene products, putting the company on track to meet its goal of phasing out single-use polystyrene products across its domestic brands by the end of 2023.
The company’s key initiatives include:
- Launching Commitment to Green, an initiative to provide sustainability training and resources to Choice hotel owners, including an automated systemwide utility tracking dashboard to enable hotels to identify electricity, fuel, and water reduction opportunities
- Reporting Scope 1 and Scope 2 greenhouse gas emissions for the first time and aligning ESG disclosures with the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board standards and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals
- Appointing an executive with knowledge of the business as vice president, sustainability and creating two new ESG governance forums to strengthen Choice’s ESG strategy and execution
- Joining the Sustainable Hospitality Alliance, a global network that champions responsible hospitality, and becoming one of its largest members
- Relaunching HERtels by Choice, driving a 53 percent year-over-year increase in the company’s hotel franchise deals with woman owners
- Committing $25 million in incentives for contracts with underrepresented minority and woman owners by 2025
- Setting a goal to increase the representation of women in senior leadership roles to 50 percent
Choice achieved an important sustainability milestone last week when the Radisson Blu Mall of America in Bloomington, Minn., became the first hotel in the world to use CarbinX, a small-scale carbon-capture device. Developed by CleanO2, CarbinX connects to the natural gas hot water heaters in the hotel, captures the carbon dioxide they produce, and converts it into an ingredient that can be used in locally produced soap and detergent.
In a statement, Choice Hotels International President and CEO Patrick Pacious called 2022 a “transformative” year for the company, especially in light of its Radisson Hotel Group Americas acquisition. “We have taken the company to an even higher level of performance and emerged in a stronger competitive position,” he said. “This year, we are increasing our environmental, social and governance commitments. This includes aligning with comprehensive sustainability frameworks and standards like the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and the standards from the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board. For the first time, we are reporting our Scope 1 and Scope 2 greenhouse gas emissions, and we are in the process of implementing a systemwide automated utility tracking dashboard that will make it easier for franchised hotels to identify opportunities for energy and water reduction.” The dashboard, he added, also will provide the company with the “high-quality data” it needs to begin understanding Scope 3 emissions so it can work toward setting science-based targets and disclosures consistent with the recommendations of the Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures.
“In addition, we are strengthening our longstanding commitment to diversity, equity and belonging with new goals for fostering diverse representation among our associates and championing hotel ownership for women and underrepresented groups,” Pacious said, noting last year’s appointment of Megan Brumagim as VP of environmental, social and governance. “While we are proud of our work to date, we recognize that we are still at the beginning in some aspects of our ESG journey. We plan to continue advancing our efforts over the coming years—from focusing more in-depth on our environmental impact to partnering with our franchisees and suppliers to educate and raise awareness on the key sustainability and corporate social responsibility issues facing our industry.”