NEW YORK—Highgate launched its environmental, social, and governance (ESG) report which incorporates an evaluation of its sustainability efficiency thus far in addition to its methods for decreasing the environmental affect of its resorts.
Highgate has firm objectives to increase on initiatives inside the report, together with growing its variety of carbon-neutral resorts, onsite photo voltaic methods, biodiversity initiatives, third-party eco-certified resorts, and electrical automobile charging station installations. Monitoring and reporting carbon, power, water, and waste efficiency knowledge is one other program part to observe and share progress. Evaluating 2021 to 2019, Highgate decreased its whole GHG emissions by 21.8 % and has minimize power use by greater than 170,000 megawatt hours (MWh).
“All of us share an pressing duty to scale back our affect on local weather change, and that is very true for the hospitality business,” mentioned Highgate CEO Arash Azarbarzin. “Highgate could be very proud to be a frontrunner on this entrance by presenting this evaluation that may function a roadmap to assist drive hospitality administration towards a net-zero future with out compromising the visitor expertise.”
“With this report, we endeavored to exhibit our most profitable initiatives and to supply visibility into our full carbon footprint, together with preliminary emissions calculations for our complete provide chain. We are going to use these knowledge to ascertain achievable objectives and measure our progress,” mentioned Marianne Balfe, Vice President of Sustainability of Highgate.
For example of the environmental requirements and aims that Highgate is pursuing, the report exhibits how the Alohilani Resort dedicated to PAS 2060 carbon neutrality certification. As a part of the initiative, the lodge partnered with the Hawaii Legacy Reforestation Initiative to reforest greater than 1,200 acres of timber.
Highgate can also be growing the usage of energy-efficient applied sciences at its resorts, whereas additionally growing the usage of renewable power. As a part of its Environmental Model Requirements, Highgate requires resorts to put in sensible guestroom thermostats, one hundred pc LED lighting, and clever kitchen hood followers for properties with giant kitchens. As of 2021, roughly 65 % of its properties already use high-efficiency lighting.
Different areas of focus in Highgate’s sustainability program embody bettering water administration, stopping meals waste, decreasing landfill waste and bolstering recycling, single-use plastics elimination, accountable sourcing, supporting biodiversity initiatives, and implementing inexperienced building, and design practices.
“We’re deeply centered on sustainable design and building practices, companions, and alternatives,” mentioned Paul McElroy, government vp of design and building. “We’re actively in search of the appropriate partnerships that won’t solely assist us maintain ourselves accountable to attenuate our carbon footprint however may also encourage a ‘extra acutely aware’ ripple impact throughout the bigger design and building group.”