[Hotel News]
Marriott International verified its near- and long-term emissions reduction targets with the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), the hospitality giant announced last month.
SBTi is a global climate action organization that develops tools that allow businesses to set greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction targets in line with data-driven methodology. Marriott is the largest global hospitality company to receive approval for both short-term and long-term science-based targets.
Marriott has committed to reducing absolute scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions by 46.2 percent by 2030 from a 2019 base year.
It is also committed to reducing absolute scope 3 GHG emissions from fuel and energy-related activities, waste generated in operations, employee commuting and franchises by 27.5 percent by 2030 from 2019, and 22 percent of its suppliers by emissions covering purchased goods and services, capital goods, and upstream transportation and distribution will have science-based targets by 2028.
Absolute scope 3 GHG emissions are indirect emissions that occur outside of an organization's boundaries as a result of its actions. Scope 1 emissions are directly from sources that an organization owns or controls and Scope 2 emissions are indirect emissions from its energy purchase, according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency.
Marriott commits to reaching net-zero greenhouse gas emissions across the value chain by 2050, reducing absolute scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions by 90 percent by 2050 from a 2019 base year and reducing absolute scope 3 GHG emissions by 90 percent by 2050 from a 2019 base year. The target boundary includes land-related emissions and removals from bioenergy feedstocks.
“For nearly a century, Marriott has been committed to our core value of serving our world as we strive to be a force for good wherever we do business,” Anthony Capuano, president and CEO of Marriott International, said. “The impact of climate change is being seen and felt across the globe. As we continue to connect people through the power of travel, we are committed to driving meaningful improvements to the environment and are energized by reaching this significant milestone. The approval of our near-term and long-term targets is the result of the hard work and dedication of Marriott’s teams around the world who are committed to our climate action journey and creating the future of sustainable hospitality.”
“Marriott has been on a journey to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in our operations and supply chain. We believe it’s good business and good for the planet,” said Erika Alexander, chief global operations officer of Marriott International. “The decarbonization of the global electrical grid is a vital component of reducing GHG emissions. We are united with other leading companies in elevating efforts to help address the effects of climate change and hold ourselves accountable as we embed sustainability throughout our operations.”
To reach its net-zero target, Marriott is focused on energy reduction, sourcing more energy from renewables and purchasing goods with lower carbon footprints across its portfolio of over 8,800 properties in 139 countries and territories.
The company’s recent sustainability highlights include launching the Climate Action Program (CAP), the company’s approach to charting a growth-focused future through building climate fluency, addressing climate risk and reducing greenhouse gas emissions across the organization; delivering property-specific carbon and energy reduction targets to every managed and franchised hotel global; enhancing the Marriott Environment Sustainability Hub (MESH), a global platform for properties to log monthly power, water and waste metrics; introducing the Energy Optimization Program to help properties manage rising energy costs; engaging with suppliers as they work to understand and reduce their emissions; and sharing sustainability information, including individual hotel carbon footprint data, on Marriott.com.
Additionally, in support of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Marriott created its sustainability and social impact platform, Serve 360: Doing Good in Every Direction, which guides the company’s efforts to make a positive and sustainable impact on the world’s most pressing social, environmental and economic issues wherever it does business. More details about Serve 360 can be found at Marriott.com/Serve360.
