Radisson Hotel Group, one of the world's largest groups with nine hotel brands, has decided to make all meetings and events across the more than 400 hotels in its EMEA portfolio carbon negative.

 

For every event taking place at its participating hotels, Radisson Hotel Group will offset double the carbon footprint, to ensure that every meeting has a positive impact on the environment, thus becoming the world's first hotel group to do so, a statement from the group said.

 

For meetings booked between October 18 and January 31, 2022, and taking place before March 31, 2022, 'Carbon Negative. Planet Positive' will set a new sustainability standard in the global hospitality industry. 

 

The programme allows clients to host meetings in a sustainable way by offsetting double the CO2 emissions from meetings and events free of charge to the client, making meetings that take place during this period at participating hotels carbon negative. 

 

'Carbon Negative. Planet Positive' reinforces the group’s 100 per cent Carbon Neutral meetings offering, in place across the group’s 1,600 hotels worldwide since 2019. The initiative forms part of the Responsible Business programme which targets reducing the group’s carbon footprint by 30%, and which aims to set science-based targets. 

 

Since the launch of the programme, the group has offset over 30,300 tons of CO2 at no cost to its clients, which is the equivalent to removing more than 6,500 fuel driven cars  off the road. 

 

These meetings complement the group’s Hybrid Meetings solutions which launched in 2020 and offer owners and guests the flexibility and space optimisation they require to better meet the rapid lifestyle changes of today’s travellers. 

 

Executive Vice President, Global Chief Branding & Commercial Officer, Eric de Neef said: “The upcoming COP26 conference will see world leaders come together to discuss climate change which needs all our attention. At Radisson Hotel Group, we are constantly reviewing how we, as a global business, can influence positive climate action, and how we can encourage the hospitality industry to push the boundaries on green meetings and events. 

 

"We are proud to be pioneering this initiative and trust that meeting organisers around the globe recognise the positive impact they can have on the environment as face-to-face meetings increase.”

 

Global Senior Vice President Sustainability, Security and Corporate Communications Inge Huijbrechts added: “Carbon Negative. Planet Positive allows you to make your meetings carbon negative and your impact planet positive. With the return of business travel, now is the time to have a positive impact. 

 

"For Radisson Hotel Group, it is important that we offset carbon emissions according to the highest quality standards and in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals. This is why we select offsetting projects that are not only good for the environment, but also socially relevant. This initiative plays a key role in helping us achieve our Responsible Business targets to protect people, planet, and community.”-TradeArabia News Service