Highgate increases investment in sustainability initiatives

Highgate is planning an upgrade to 100 percent renewable electricity, beginning with a majority of its select-service properties as well as 17 full-service hotels. The initiative will be certified by Green-e Energy, an independent certification and verification program for renewable energy.
 
“We’re determined to be part of the solution to address climate change,” said Marianne Balfe, Highgate’s VP of sustainability. “According to the Sustainable Hospitality Alliance, the hotel industry needs to reduce its carbon emissions per room by 90 percent by 2050 in order to keep the industry within UN goals for reduced emissions. This is a humbling statistic that highlights the importance of investments in renewable energy as a business imperative moving forward. The utilization of renewable energy is a simple and impactful step that the entire industry can and should be taking to reduce our collection effect on the planet. We are proud to be paving the way with aggressive and momentous sustainability efforts.”
 
For this renewable energy initiative, all of the participating properties, which initially includes all of the Highgate-owned properties in the Highgate Select portfolio, have committed to third-party verification through Green-e for 2022. The renewable energy purchase commitment will cover the entire building consumption for these Highgate hotels, allowing meetings and conferences that take place within them to be Green-e certified.
 
The following full-service properties will be powered by 100 percent renewable electricity starting on Jan. 1, 2022:

• Alohilani Resort Waikiki
• Hotel Figueroa, Los Angeles
• Hyatt Regency Bethesda
• NoMo SoHo, New York
• Park Central New York
• Park Central San Francisco (to be rebranded as Hyatt Regency San Francisco in 2022) 
• Park Lane Hotel New York
• Renaissance Las Vegas
• The James New York – NoMad
• The Knickerbocker Hotel, Times Square
• The Newbury Boston
• The Scottsdale Plaza Resort
• The Westin Arlington Gateway
• The Westin Las Vegas Hotel & Spa
• The Westin Long Beach
• The Westin New Orleans Canal Place
• WestHouse Hotel New York

Highgate is a member of the Renewable Energy Buyers Alliance and is the first hospitality company to become a signatory to REBA’s Commercial Real Estate Principles, a foundational tool supporting the decarbonization of commercial buildings through energy optimization and renewable energy procurement. Highgate has also entered into a partnership with ENGIE Impact to implement solutions for sustainability reporting, achieving decarbonization, and overall environmental footprint reduction.
 

Highgate also announced the movement towards the elimination of single-use plastics. The initiative will include new partnerships with industry-innovating carbon-negative companies, phasing out single-use plastics in Highgate legacy hotel guest rooms, F&B outlets, meeting spaces and public spaces, along with sourcing renewable and compostable substitutes to common hotel supplies and amenities. Efforts will also include offering guests bulk shower amenities, filtered water refill stations, refillable water bottles and digital key entry.

Highgate will announce additional initiatives and partners in early 2022.