Thinking responsibly...Sustainability review
Our approach to sustainability
COMMITTED TO SUSTAINABLE IMPACT
Sustainability lies at the very heart of how we do business. Our commitment to sustainability and impact means integrating social, ethical and environmental considerations into our day-to-day operations. A key element of this is solid corporate governance that ensures sustainable management with a long-term vision.
We recognise the global challenges that are impacting businesses and fundamentally changing how businesses like ours operate. In this context, we are committed to pursuing sustainable growth that ensures the greatest social and economic profitability and public support, and the lowest environmental impact.
The Value Reporting Foundation (VRF) offers a comprehensive suite of resources designed to help businesses and investors develop a shared understanding of enterprise value and how it is created, preserved, or eroded over time. We monitor and report our performance against the six capitals outlined by the VRF’s International
Click on the capitals for more information
The outputs from leveraging our capital inputs create value for stakeholders and result in certain outcomes, which may be positive or negative, depending on the context. These are discussed in this report’s narrative on “the six capitals”.
We are committed to sustainable impact!
TRENDS SHAPING OUR SUSTAINABILITY APPROACH
Globally, sustainable tourism along with eco-consciousness has become a priority for hospitality leaders and hotel businesses around the world. The tourism industry contributes to about 5% of global greenhouse gas emissions – a figure that the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership expects to grow by 130% by 2035. In response to this, CLHG has identified several interventions to address this. Overall, we aim to enhance the guest experience, while significantly cutting energy costs, lowering our carbon footprint, and delivering shared value.
Sustainable sourcing for food production
Using local produce and/or farm-to-table dining is becoming more popular as an effective way to reduce carbon footprint and support local producers while offering travellers a unique opportunity to experience a greater connection to the locations they are visiting.
What we are doing as CLHG:
We continue to identify new, black-owned, small, medium, and micro-enterprises (SMMEs) to form part of our supply chain. After receiving financial support from CLHG, some of our fresh produce suppliers were able to purchase farmland north of Johannesburg and commenced small-scale farming operations, which have steadily grown and now supply some of the country’s largest retailers.
Waste reduction
A step that goes far beyond recycling, eliminating single-use plastic products (like water bottles, straws and plastic bags) can help limit the huge amount of waste stemming from creating and discarding these items.
What we are doing as CLHG:
We have a concerted focus on recycling paper, glass, plastics, aluminum, and steel cans where possible. All plastics have been eliminated from our range of guest bathroom amenities with the implementation of Zero Bar range. All hotels have hydration stations to reduce the volume of bottled water used.
Water reduction
Offering a voluntary linen reuse programme, converting to low flow or dual flush toilets and using rainwater harvesting, are easy ways to save water without impacting the guest experience in a negative way.
What we are doing as CLHG:
Beyond the run-of-the-mill initiatives to reduce water consumption, we are exploring several avenues, including an automated mechanism for monitoring water consumption data.
Energy conservation
Hotels globally are working to reduce energy use while sustaining and, whenever possible, enhancing the guest experience. One way they are doing this is by maximising the use of energy-efficient natural light.
What we are doing as CLHG:
CLHG is taking a disciplined view to conserve energy (while also reducing it) through energy-efficient lights and appliances, intelligent lighting management systems and building monitoring systems. Solar panels are installed at 25 hotels to reduce traditional energy consumption.
Responding to inequality
Inequality is arguably one of the most pressing challenges of our time. In many of the geographies CLHG operates in, the wide gaps in income, education and economic opportunity continue to persist.
What we are doing as CLHG:
We recognise the scourge of inequality, and its attendant risk to social stability. We are making strides in our equal opportunity employment with our permanent workforce comprising 62% females, and exco comprising 50% females. Previously disadvantaged individuals comprise 85% of our permanent employees. By supporting a number of programmes – including the Presidential YES programme, we are lending a hand to make a difference.
Eco-friendly materials
In an increasingly technologised world, the longing for nature is growing. That’s why more and more hotel designers are integrating the principles of biophilia (connection to nature) and biophilic design into the large-scale design plans of their buildings to meet the expectations of their guests, new and old.
What we are doing as CLHG:
A number of hotels in our portfolio are integrating nature-based materials into their design and overall look and feel. The recent refurbishment of the Courtyard Hotel Rosebank, and Courtyard Hotel Waterfall City (which has achieved a four-star green rating for Best Practice from the Green Building Council South Africa bear testimony to our desire to be in harmony with nature and the environment more broadly.
