Darin Graham

📈 One year after opening its net-zero hotel in Manchester, Radisson’s energy costs have matched pre-conversion levels while maintaining profit targets. The former Park Inn was transformed by eliminating fossil fuels, using four industrial heat pumps, and switching the kitchen to induction. Heat pumps, powered by electricity, can generate 3-4 units of heat energy per unit of electricity, despite electricity being up to four times more expensive than gas. The 15-year-old building had minimal energy leakage and efficient lighting.

🌊 Sargassum seaweed is inundating Caribbean shores in record amounts this summer. University of South Florida data, released on Monday, indicates May's levels reached unprecedented highs throughout the Caribbean and Gulf. Projections suggest June will see further increases, making 2026 potentially the worst year since records began. Sargassum, a brown macroalgae, offers critical marine habitats but causes issues when decomposing on beaches. The phenomenon has surged since initial 2011 reports.

🍴 United Nations event, attended by Accor, Hilton, and others, launched the Recipe for Change pledge to reduce food waste. Despite serving only 0.5% of meals globally, hotels contribute 1% of food-related emissions and 3% of food waste, as highlighted in a 2024 report. Untracked food costs are significant, with up to 15% of hotel food purchases going unconsumed. Operators will implement smaller portions and live cooking demonstrations for guests.

🌍 Coral Beach Resort Sharjah became the first hotel in the Middle East to sign the Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action in Tourism. Joining over 800 global tourism businesses, the UAE property commits to halving emissions by 2030 and achieving net zero before 2050. The declaration, initiated at the UN Climate Change Conference, highlights challenges for Gulf hotels in reducing carbon footprints amidst high energy costs and oil-based energy grids. Israel and Lebanon have no hotels on the signatory list.

🗺 Radisson Hotel Group plans to roll out 100 verified net zero hotels by 2030, aiming to reduce dependency on fossil fuels amid oil price surges above $100 per barrel due to the Iran war. The initiative, highlighted before the 2026 International Hospitality Investment Forum in Berlin, includes successful pilots in Manchester and Oslo, launched in May last year. These hotels have shown increased revenue and high guest demand, emphasizing cost savings and risk mitigation.