Carbon emission benchmark launched for lodging sector

The lodging sector is destined to mirror the measurement process currently provided by the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) for airlines and ground transport providers.

A new sector benchmark for hotels and venues, Carepar™, will respond to the needs of travel managers who are under pressure to measure the impact their business travellers are having on the environment.

Launched by The Hotel Carbon Index Company, Carepar™ (Carbon Emission Per Room Available) is on target to become the industry standard classification across the lodging and event sector. It will allow business and leisure travellers to understand the emissions involved in their hotel usage, whether for accommodation, conference or event.

Travel has recently been put to the top of the agenda due to the rising impact it has on the environment; airlines and ground transport companies are now increasing their awareness and actions around their carbon emissions.

Overseen by figureheads from Europe’s lodging sector, the introduction of industry standard Carepar™ will enable:
Decision makers of travel policies to understand the impact their accommodation needs have on the environment
· Help hoteliers and venues to ensure they better their individual ratings – in the long term demonstrating that they are reducing their emissions

Acting as the central conduit of information, The Hotel Carbon Index Company will be supplied information by hoteliers and venues (including room sizes, fuel bills, recycling initiatives). The information is then downloaded onto a central database, managed and overseen by The Carbon Consultancy, to enable the Carepar™ to be produced.

Peter Ducker, Founder of The Hotel Carbon Index Company, said: “This is a first for the lodging sector and one that has been embraced wholeheartedly, from hoteliers and buyers of accommodation to travellers alike. The ability to measure carbon emissions in hotels means that procurement departments and guests can make this a criterion of choice.” He continued “Hoteliers and venues can also actively seek to improve their Carepar™ on an ongoing basis. Demand is high from the UK’s business travel buyers including lead association, The Hotel Booking Agents Association, who are helping drive awareness of the standard measure throughout their members, partners and corporate users”.

· Carepar™ has been developed by a team of experts drawn from the environmental lobby, the hotel, information technology and travel industries.
· Carepar™ has been developed to deliver to the hotel sector an industry standard method of calculating hotel and venue usage – relating it to the carbon cost of an individual stay or an individual event
· Address: The Hotel Carbon Index Company limited, PO Box 701, Godalming, GU7 9AT, UK
· Tel: 0844 561 7551
www.carepar.com