GET TO KNOW HOTELS4CLIMATE

The Cyprus Employers and Industrialists Federation (OEB-project coordinator), the Institute of Greek Tourism Confederation (INSETE) and the public policy consultancy adelphi, participate in the European project Hotels4Climate, which aims to facilitate the reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the hotel industry in Greece and Cyprus.

The project aims to identify the amount of GHG emissions that result from the activities of selected four- and five-star hotels and provide them with the necessary tools (educational and financial) to support GHG reduction measures.

The project’s activities include, among others: the assessment of the current situation of the hotel sector in Cyprus and Greece in terms of energy use; energy and GHG emissions savings  and selection of good practices; opportunities for networking with financial institutions, stakeholders and hotel executives; capacity building and training workshops for hotel on possible GHG reduction measures and energy saving practices; development of a platform to showcase good practices, a virtual hotel tool to learn about and assess GHG reduction potentials, and an online information hub for information exchange.

The project is funded by the European Climate Initiative (EUKI) of the German Government.

From July 2020, the project scope has been expanded to include additional actions in the following areas:

• Publication of a report on the effects of COVID-19 pandemic in the hotel industry and the necessary policies and strategies that may need to be adopted for a Green Restart of both the Economy and the hotel businesses. This report will be shared with the relevant stakeholders and policymakers for consideration in adopting actions and strategies.
• Promotion of the Circular Economy in the hotel industry in Greece and Cyprus. We first aim to determine the current state of the Circular Economy in hotels and what are the priority areas with the greatest impact on climate change and GHG emissions (e.g. food, plastics, packaging, construction and renovation, electricals and electronics, etc.).
• Free workshops will be organized on Circular Economy for achieving climate neutrality in hotel businesses, including an introduction to supply chains in Circular Economy and how a hotel can implement circular practices and form circular business models.

Why should I participate in this initiative?

The benefits from participating in this project are multiple and significant, as the mitigation of GHG emissions in the hotel sector will be achieved by the reduction of energy consumption and the adoption of circular business models that contributes to a more rational resources and waste management. In addition, these actions result in the reduction of the operating costs of hotels, but also in innovation and the development of new attractive products and services for the modern tourism industry. At the same time, the implementation of the project will contribute to Cyprus’ effort to achieve its national targets for GHG emissions reduction and transition to Circular Economy.

By participating in the project, hotels prove their effective action for GHG emissions reduction, contributing to the achievement of the Cypriot and Greek national climate targets for 2030.

Moreover, they will have the opportunity to share their suggestions and contribute to the development of the necessary policies and actions by policymakers on the effects of COVID-19 pandemic on the hotel industry, thus helping the Green Restart of the industry.

Finally, the hotel businesses will have the opportunity to learn how Circular Economy can support them in becoming more competitive and how they can further reduce their GHG emissions by adopting circular practices and business models.

How can I learn more about the “Hotels4Climate” project?

For further information or clarifications about the project and on how to participate, you may contact Marios Papageorgiou at 22 665102, ext. 206 or mpapageorgiou[at]oeb.org.cy.

Short presentation of Hotels4Climate