NH Hotels has recently presented the goals of its environmental plan for 2012, anticipating in eight years the EU targets for 2020 as regards the reduction of emissions and energy consumption. The implementation of this plan reaffirms NH Hotels’ commitment to sustainability.
The Boston Consulting Group, a leading advisor on business strategy and planning and sustainability projects, has collaborated with the hotel chain in designing the plan. As a result, the plan’s specific and efficient solutions will contribute to improving the chain’s environmental policies and increasing client satisfaction.
NH Hotels’ environmental track record
Since 2003, NH Hotels has been analysing the energy consumption of each one of its hotels and developing new energy efficiency programmes. In addition, the chain has carried out actions keyed to reducing electrical energy and water consumption with the aim of laying the foundations and introducing procedures for future actions.
Since 2006, the chain has been comparing the water and energy consumption per client every three months, with the aim of designing specific actions that contribute to further reducing consumption. As a result, important reductions have been achieved, water consumption per client being down 8% on figures for 2005, and that of energy 3% on figures for 2006.
Targets for 2008-2012
The EU has taken the initiative to establish binding targets for 2020 in the field of sustainable development: to boost the share of renewable energies to 20%, to reduce CO2 emissions by 20%, and to increase energy efficiency by 20%. The EU’s 20-20-20 objectives represent the spearhead of its environmental policy, constituting the first phase of a more ambitious plan for reducing greenhouse gases in the long term.
In line with the efforts made to date to measure consumption and incorporate technology to optimise processes, NH Hotels has strengthened its commitment to social responsibility characterising the group’s operations at all levels, and has set out to achieve four basic goals by 2012: to reduce energy consumption, CO2 emissions, water consumption and waste production by 20%.
About NH Hotels
With 344 hotels, totalling 50,707 rooms, in 22 countries in Europe, America and Africa, NH Hotels occupies third place in the European ranking of business hotels. The chain is currently building 55 new hotels, with a total of 10,000 rooms.
