CSR and Sustainability

🍽 In 2007, Matt and Nina Bigland opened a Gastro Pub in Kelham Island, Sheffield, where mains cost £15. They now run Blend Family, addressing food insecurity by opening food halls like Cambridge Street Collective in Sheffield and Kargo MKT in Manchester, and launching the Blend Culinary Foundation. Expanding globally, they announced Tower Bridge Collective in London, featuring 13 food partners offering diverse dishes.

🌿 Yeastup focuses on sustainable food through meat alternatives, addressing the 14.5% of human greenhouse gas emissions from livestock farming. Targeting the sports nutrition sector, seen commercially as high-value due to the demand for quality protein, comparable to whey protein prices. In 2024, Yeastup's new factory is in the exploratory phase, aimed at product development and seeking partners to co-develop meat substitutes.

🌈 In 2024, Booking.com revealed that over half of LGBTQ+ travelers experienced discrimination, and 56% feel more insecure while traveling. Despite this, 67% value authenticity during their journeys. Travel Proud, launched in 2021 and available in 11 languages including Japanese and Thai, provides inclusive hospitality training in partnership with HospitableMe. The program aims to address the specific challenges and discrimination LGBTQ+ travelers face, with 62% in APAC reporting barriers to feeling welcome.

🚨 Hospitality industry energy consumption averages 234 kWh/m², with France's hotels and guesthouses spanning over 22 million m². Heating (31%), hot water (17%), air conditioning (15%), and lighting (12%) are the main energy expenses, and hotel guests use about 300 liters of water per night. The “tertiary decree” in France targets a 60% energy reduction in tertiary buildings by 2050, with -40% by 2030. As of five years before 2030, only 40% of French hoteliers have implemented energy efficiency measures, while 90% have adopted LED lighting. Investment costs and lack of awareness about financial aid hinder progress, yet simple actions can significantly affect energy optimization.

🌏 LG Electronics received the MindClick Sustainability Assessment Program (MSAP) “Leader” rating for environmental sustainability for the 10th consecutive year during Earth Week 2025. LG’s hotel TVs, digital signage displays, and computer monitors were recognized for their sustainable content, carbon impact reduction, sustainable material usage, and packaging waste reduction. MSAP, which evaluates suppliers' product lifecycles for sustainability, rates participants as Starter, Achiever, or Leader and has expanded beyond Marriott International to include brands like Fairmont, Four Seasons, Hilton, Hyatt, and Sonesta. Metrics measured include energy, water, waste, indoor air quality, recyclability, and responsible supply chain practices.

🌱 LG Electronics recognized for environmental sustainability excellence, earning MindClick Sustainability Assessment Program (MSAP) “Leader” rating for 10th year during Earth Week 2025. LG's hotel TVs, digital signage displays, and monitors praised for reducing carbon impact, sustainable materials, and less packaging waste. MSAP evaluates suppliers to the hospitality industry on product lifecycle sustainability, including Marriott, Fairmont, and Hilton, among others, measuring carbon footprint, sustainable materials, recyclability, and chemical safety.

🏕 Atzaró Okavango Camp in Botswana, opened June 2024, secures the Conde Nast Traveller ‘Hot List’ Best New Hotels 2025 award. The luxury camp offers 12 suites, two villas, all with plunge pools and star-beds. It partners with African Bush Camps Foundation (ABCF), which started the Female Guides Program in 2021, now introducing female guides in 2025. ABCF supports Ditsiping Village with education and healthcare, including a full-time tutor and transport for mobile clinic staff. Guests can enjoy a 20-meter pool, wildlife safaris, wellness facilities, and children's activities, with encouragement for stays of 5+ days. The camp is eco-friendly, employing a solar farm and water purification systems.

🌲 The hotel industry is under transformation due to CSR pressures. UMIH and ADEME support the transition with steps like reducing food waste, fluid consumption, energy performance, and bio-waste management. By 2025, all hotel industry players are expected to adopt a sustainable approach, aiming to reduce emissions by 66% by 2030 and 90% by 2050 in alignment with the Paris Agreement. 83% of travelers prefer sustainable accommodations; 40% of millennials consider employer sustainability for job choice, and 70% stay longer with companies that have strong environmental policies. Green certifications are critical; Green Key certifies over 6,700 sites globally, with 2,400 in France. Accor aims to certify all its hotels by 2026 and has partnered with Green Key and Green Globe. Leonardo Hotels’ European portfolio is in the certification process, and Meliá has 270 hotels with Ecostars certification. Edgar Suites received the B Corp label in 2023. Top 10 hotel groups target carbon neutrality by 2050, using carbon audits and CSR programs like Accor’s Planet 21 and Hilton’s Travel with Purpose. Some, like Accor, Hilton, and Meliá, include scope 3 emissions in their strategies, accounting for nearly 70% of the total carbon footprint.

🌱 PM Hotel Group in Chevy Chase, Maryland, released its seventh annual sustainability report in 2024. The report shows the company's progress in environmental stewardship, community impact, and social responsibility. Initiatives included assembling 2,100 hygiene kits, providing an estimated 105,000 hand washes, 88,200 tooth brushings, and 44,100 showers. They bagged 2,500 pounds of food for the North Texas Food Bank, equaling 5,000 meals. PM Hotel Group created 2,000 hours of employment for those facing work barriers and installed EV chargers at ten properties, with plans for 45 more in 2025. The Windsor Suites in Philadelphia planted 5,000 trees in Rwanda, while Airlie in Northern Virginia maintained a National Wildlife Federation habitat certification. Hilton BWI Airport's composting partnership diverted over 26,000 pounds of organic waste. During Earth Week 2024, various hotel teams engaged in sustainability activities like tree planting and promoting organic products.