Accor advocates sustainable development and hospitality that respects the environment and communities in which the group operates.  Chiefly through its “Planet 21” program built around employees, customers, partners, communities, food, and buildings, it limits its negative social and environmental impacts.  Accor's “Pl ...

Tourism 2030 DestiNet Services reports that there are over 200 certification programs on sustainable tourism – certificates operating worldwide, certificates in Europe (in two or more European countries), and national certificates. The Austrian ecolabel for "Green Meetings and Green Events" is said to be the first gree ...

Green Key is launching an initiative to drive responsible travel and tourism.  Under a common framework and definition of "hotel sustainability", it aims to raise the basic level of sustainability in hospitality for all travelers and stakeholders and guide the industry towards sustainable change. In consultation with i ...

The regulation of environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors in investment and corporate decision-making in capital markets has reached a tipping point.  The new regulations create a standard for ESG reporting to facilitate sustainable investments.  However, the drive to advance ESG-compliant investing is also ...

GHG Protocol Scope 1 includes emissions from the combustion of fuels by sources owned or controlled by the reporting company.  Scope 2 comprises emissions from combusted fuels to generate electricity, steam, heating and cooling purchased and consumed by a company.  Scope 3 encompasses all other indirect emissions in a ...

The construction sector has focused mainly on improving its energy efficiency and the substitution of fossil fuels to decarbonize buildings.  It has largely ignored the threat from the continued growth in the built environment.  This article argues that embodied carbon in buildings can be reduced only at the strategic ...

Environmental and social (E&S) risks are the potential negative consequences to a business that result from its (perceived) impacts on the natural environment or communities.  Failure to effectively manage E&S issues in a business can lead to a range of financial, legal and reputational consequences for the com ...

This guide provides a methodology to support the hospitality industry in making net-zero commitments and taking action to achieve them.  It sets out an adaptable approach for hotel companies of any size and sets a baseline from which hotels can pursue a net-zero target.  The guide helps hotels to understand how emissio ...

Buildings that are too uneconomical to retrofit to comply with legislation, such as the EU Energy Efficiency Directive (EED) and National Energy and Climate Plans, become stranded assets.  They are a significant risk for investors and property owners that have not ensured that their real estate assets are future-proofe ...

Green loan principles (GLP) are a high-level framework of market standards and guidelines to promote the development and integrity of the green loan product.  They define green loans as any debt instrument, including bonds, made available exclusively to finance or re-finance, in whole or in part, new and/or existing el ...

Unless "sufficiency" becomes a primary principle in climate mitigation and policies for the development and use of buildings, it is unlikely that global warming will be reduced.  This article explains that we cannot meet the Paris Agreement targets of 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels without building efficiency improv ...

EU taxonomy was intended to provide a system for the classification of environmentally and financially sustainable economic activities.  It is essentially a green label for the investment of over a trillion euros.  Also called the "Sustainable Finance Taxonomy", it's about subsidized financing and lots of money.  The t ...

Asset managers conduct annual portfolio reviews and tenant engagement surveys to identify and manage potential obsolescence issues.  Future pricing is a concern and they understand the risk that many obsolete assets may soon be on the market at the same time, pushing prices down.  Thus, lenders and investors are focusi ...

Countries are transitioning to low carbon, sustainable and climate-resilient economies.  The action taken by states on climate change and sustainability will affect the profitability and viability of many existing investments and commercial arrangements.  Significant changes to the investment environment in the name of ...

The European Commission (EC) consulted with the general public and key stakeholders to regulate green claims in marketing and combat greenwashing.  The consultation assessed the reliability and scope of current labels/initiatives and reviewed the current greenwashing practices that mislead market actors and reduce sust ...