Cornell Center for Hospitality Research Report reveals significant carbon footprint reduction in hotels around the world by over 30 percent between 2019 and 2021.
The CHSB Index 2023 has been released during the eCornell keynote Sustainability in the Hospitality Industry: How Data Is Making an Impact webinar on June 7, 2023. The hotel industry’s largest and longstanding annual data collection of energy, water, and carbon performance, CHSB is the primary reference tool for hoteliers to benchmark their performance, and for various stakeholders including governments and business travelers seeking to calculate the environmental impact of a hotel stay. It incorporates the Hotel Carbon Measurement Initiative (HCMI) and Hotel Water Measurement Initiative (HWMI) methodologies to provide standardized, industry-backed data to end users.
CHSB 2023 is the first post-pandemic performance benchmark. Participants in the latest index include major hotel brands, operators, and owners, covering a total of 646 geographies (64 countries, 84 regions, 410 metro areas, and 88 climate zones).
Linda Canina, the Dr. Michael Dang Director of the Center for Hospitality Research at Cornell University’s Peter and Stephanie Nolan School of Hotel Administration added, “We are pleased to offer the updated CHSB Index free of charge, furthering the Center for Hospitality Research’s mission to increase the volume of high-quality research to support the hospitality industry, with CHSB allowing hoteliers to understand the range of energy, water, and carbon performance globally.”
Of the countries within the latest index, hotels in Norway had the lowest carbon intensity (13.5 kg carbon emissions per square meter) whereas those in Hong Kong, China had the highest (214.5 kg CO2e/m2). Countries with the lowest carbon intensity did not necessarily result in the lowest hotel energy intensity. Hotels in Austria for example had the lowest energy intensity (134.5 kilowatt hours per square meter). Limited-service hotels continue to outperform full-service hotels in intensities, and the latest trends may point toward a faster rate of their decarbonization.
Globally, lower occupancies due to the tail-end of COVID led to a significant increase in water usage intensity – a 20.2 percent increase in water per occupied room in 2021 as compared to 2019. Much water was used for hygiene and sanitary purposes during COVID disregarding of the occupancy.
Eric Ricaurte, CEO of Greenview and the co-author of the CHSB Index said, “In this ninth annual CHSB Index, we are excited to see increasing support from the hospitality industry, from less than 5,000 participants in 2014 to over 25,000 in 2023, enabling widespread use and analysis of the data thanks to over 30 companies that have supported the initiative. This month we celebrate the 10th year anniversary of CHSB’s start, and I would also like to give special thanks to the participants who have supported the initiative since its inception: Hilton, Hyatt, IHG, Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group, Marriott International, The Hongkong & Shanghai Hotels, and Wyndham Hotels & Resorts. Going forward we are also excited to evolve CHSB into a broader industry platform for data providers and data recipients to collectively work toward efficiency and decarbonization.”
The CHSB Index is available to download free of charge from the Cornell University eCommons library at https://ecommons.cornell.edu/handle/1813/113258. CHSB data feeds the Greenview Hotel Footprinting Tool at www.hotelfootprints.org where users can estimate the carbon footprint of a hotel stay and meeting anywhere in the world.
Participation is open and welcome for CHSB 2024. Companies can find more details on the initiative at www.greenview.sg/chsb-index.
For more information please contact:
Jessica Yau
jessica@greenview.sg
About Greenview
Greenview is the world’s leading provider of sustainability programs and data management for the hospitality and tourism sector. We support companies to design, implement, and monitor their corporate responsibility and sustainability platforms to drive profitability, streamline data, keep ahead of trends, and provide effective communication for stakeholders. Headquartered in Singapore, and a branch office in Washington DC, we manage the hospitality sector’s largest collaborative sustainability initiatives, including the Cornell Hotel Sustainability Benchmarking Index, and leverage the power of this network to synergize value to our clients across three pillars of activity: corporate consulting and advisory, Greenview Portal software (GSTC recognized), and collaborative industry initiatives.
About Cornell’s Center for Hospitality Research
Cornell’s Center for Hospitality Research (CHR) was created in 1992 for the purpose of expanding both the quality and volume of research supporting the hospitality industry and its related service industries. The CHR’s mission is to advance hospitality thought leadership by publishing and disseminating impactful and actionable research, including reports, briefs, tools, and case studies that industry leaders can put in to practice today; facilitating the exchange of new ideas by bringing students, faculty, and industry professionals together at roundtables, panels, conferences, and other engaging events; and partnering with the other Centers and Institutes in the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business to maximize research, event, and networking collaborations.
List of Participating Organizations
- Accor
- AINA Hospitality
- Centara Hotels & Resorts
- Chatham Lodging Trust
- CPG Hospitality
- DiamondRock Hospitality Company
- Four Seasons
- Hilton Worldwide
- Hong Kong & Shanghai Hotels
- Horwath HTL Asia Pacific
- Hyatt Hotels Corporation
- InterContinental Hotels Group
- Mandarin Oriental Hotels Group
- Marriott International
- MGM Resorts International
- Pacific Beachcomber
- Park Hotel Group
- Park Hotels & Resorts
- Pebblebrook Hotel Trust
- Playa Hotels & Resorts
- Radisson Hotel Group
- RLJ Lodging Trust
- Rosewood Hotels & Resorts
- Ryman Hospitality Properties
- Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas
- Sunstone Hotel Investors
- The Ascott Limited
- Wyndham Hotels & Resorts
- Xenia Hotels & Resorts
List of Users
- WRI/Quantis Scope 3 Evaluator
- New Zealand Government
- UK Government Greenhouse Gas guidance
- Euromonitor Sustainable Travel Index
- Greenprint Performance Report
- Hotel Global Decarbonisation Report
- Destination Water Risk Index
- FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022
Key findings for CHSB 2023
- Average hotel GHG emissions per square meter reduced by 30.41% between 2019 and 2021
- Best performers in the top 25% are emitting 2.5 times less than the hotels in the bottom 25%
- Limited-service hotels are less carbon intensive than full-service hotels
- Resort properties are slower to reduce GHG emissions than other properties
- Average hotel energy usage per square meter reduced by 25.32% between 2019 and 2021
- Best performers in the top 25% are 2 times more energy efficient than hotels in the bottom 25%
- Limited-service hotels are becoming energy efficient at a faster rate than full-service hotels
- The ten countries with the lowest carbon intensity or energy intensity for hotels are:
| Carbon emissions per square meter | Energy per square meter | |
| 1. | Norway | Austria |
| 2. | Sweden | Colombia |
| 3. | Costa Rica | Morocco |
| 4. | Switzerland | Vietnam |
| 5. | Lithuania | Portugal |
| 6. | Austria | Peru |
| 7. | France | Argentina |
| 8. | Brazil | Sweden |
| 9. | Slovak Republic | Malaysia |
| 10. | Colombia | Mexico |
- Average hotel water usage per occupied room increased by 9.94% between 2019 and 2021
- There is a greater increase in water usage per occupied room among resorts compared to non-resorts
- Best performers in the top 25% are 2.1 times more water efficient than hotels in the bottom 25%
