The operator of the InterContinental, Holiday Inn and Crowne Plaza brands will be almost doubling the uptake of Green Engage – an online environmental sustainability tool which enables individual hotels to track their energy, carbonand water use resource efficiency.

The system generates reports and an energy benchmark so that hotels can compare their performance to other hotels. It then provides specific ‘green solutions’ designed to reduce the environmental impact of hotels. IHG says Green Engage can help its hotels achieve energy savings of up to 25% – roughly £55,000 for an average hotel. The group’s managed hotels avoided £45m in energy costs alone last year. 

Step forward

The hotel giant will help unregistered properties to sign up and reach ‘Green Engage Level 1’ certification by the end of 2015. This will consist of satisfying 10 green solutions including training of colleagues, tracking utility data, managing the use of non-essential lighting and implementing best practice in areas such as housekeeping and laundry. 

IHG chief executive Richard Solomons said the announcement is an ‘important milestone’ for IHG and ‘another powerful demonstration of our ongoing commitment to protecting the environment’.

“We know our guests care as much about sustainability as we do, so making each and every one of our properties an IHG Green Engage hotel is a great step forward for our business and for the communities in which we operate,” said Solomons.

Through its Green Engage programme, IHG aims to reduce the carbon footprint and water use per occupied room by 12% each across its entire estate by 2017.

VIDEO: IHG GREEN ENGAGE

Lois Vallely

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