BWH Hotels commits to sustainable hospitality with new initiative
BWH Hotels partners with The University of Queensland for sustainable hospitality initiative
BWH Hotels has pledged its commitment to environmental and social responsibility through the launch of its new Earth, People and Community (EPC) initiative.
Recognising the importance for the hospitality industry to take the lead on establishing sustainable programs that meet evolving guest expectations, the EPC program offers hotels practical, cost-saving solutions to drive sustainable development.
Through the EPC effort, BWH’s goal is to strengthen one community at a time by partnering with hoteliers and providing the necessary tools to enact meaningful change.
BWH Hotels focuses on sustainability & diversity
“Our hotel family is deeply committed to implementing environmentally friendly hotel practices, fostering a work culture where diversity is celebrated and partnering with charitable organisations to give back. Through our new EPC effort, our attention is focused on establishing ourselves as the place to stay and the place to work,” said Rod Munro, Managing Director of Operations, BWH Hotels Australasia.
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The values that shape the EPC effort are the heart of BWH Hotels, representing hospitality leaders, hoteliers and industry colleagues. Focusing on the three pillars of Earth, People and Community, BWH Hotels is committed to operating responsibly in the near and long-term future, focusing on the company’s efforts to foster an inclusive culture that embraces diverse viewpoints and establishing strong connections within its local communities.
“The pillars of Earth, People and Community reflect our company’s ongoing commitment to sustainability and responsible tourism.
The implementation of this new program and the work we’re doing with The University of Queensland establishes a practical approach for our hotels to develop sustainably for future for generations of travellers. Our hotels are setting an example for the industry and contributing to environmental solutions,” Mr Munro said.
UQ partnership
In cooperation with Professor Sara Dolnicar and her Low Harm Hedonism team at The University of Queensland (UQ), BWH Hotels is working with its properties to measure environmental performance automatically and continuously.
The team is developing and testing practical solutions that have the potential to change hotel guest behaviour in ways that reduce negative environmental impacts. Any measures tested in hotels are pre-tested to ensure there’s no negative impact on guest satisfaction. Many practical measures have the pleasant side effect of saving hotels money.
“The work we’re doing is not going to change the industry overnight, but it can materially improve the environmental sustainability of the tourism sector, especially if many hotels adopt practical measures proven to be effective,” Professor Dolnicar said.
“Our collaboration with BWH Hotels will benefit the entire hospitality and accommodation sector as we will widely share all the measures that improve environmental performance while also reducing cost.”
One of the current studies running at BWH Hotels across Australia investigated guest use of in-room refrigerators. Measurements remotely taken from the hotels about electricity consumption and guest use of minibars suggest that many guests do not use the fridge at all.
Future strategy
Another study soon to be carried out will investigate the effectiveness of communication messages in an aim to reduce unnecessary use of the air conditioner to drive down electricity consumption. Guests will be displayed messages that suggest the choice of most customers, in a bid to influence their decision by the opinion of the majority.
By implementing this simple communication strategy regarding air conditioning temperature controls, Professor Dolnicar’s team hopes to see a decline in electricity consumption.
Read more about BWH’s EPC program HERE
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