Water Footprint Network to develop stewardship programme for InterContinental Hotels
InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), a world leading hotel company, announced the appointment of global water-use experts, the Water Footprint Network, to develop a worldwide water stewardship programme for IHG.
As part of the programme, IHG and the Water Footprint Network will develop a deep understanding of IHG’s water usage at a local level, applying best practice techniques and behaviours to manage and reduce its water footprint.
Good regional water stewards
The partnership will build on the progress IHG is already making to reduce water consumption per occupied room in water-stressed areas, one of the company’s corporate responsibility targets.
Paul Snyder, Vice president of corporate responsibility – environmental sustainability, IHG, commented: "We are delighted to add the Water Footprint Network’s expertise to the great work we’re doing towards achieving our reduction targets around water consumption. IHG has a presence in nearly 100 countries, so ensuring we are good water stewards locally generates significant environmental and economic benefits for both IHG and the communities in which we operate."
Broad and positive impact
Ruth Mathews, Executive director, Water Footprint Network, commented: "We are very much looking forward to partnering with IHG to develop its global water stewardship programme. IHG’s global scale gives us an opportunity to make both a broad and positive impact, as well as to inspire the millions of people and guests that work and stay in IHG’s hotels."
Scheme used by WFN to implement corporate water stewardship.
Over 4,900 hotels
IHG helps its hotels to manage freshwater usage through the company’s online environmental sustainability tool, Green Engage system.
In addition to water, the system gives hotels the ability to track how much carbon, and energy they are using, as well as to assess how waste is managed.
IHG’s global estate of more than 4,900 hotels is enrolled, giving them access to more than 200 specific actions, designed to reduce hotels’ environmental impact.
Specific actions for water
There are nearly 30 actions devoted solely to water. These include the ability to track consumption on a monthly basis, as well as guidance on more specific water-saving solutions such as metering, rainwater harvesting, and the installation of devices such as low-flow taps and showerheads.
Such actions helped IHG drive a 4.2 percent reduction in water use per occupied room in water-stressed areas to the end of 2014.
About InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG)
IHG is a British multinational hotels company with over over 710,000 rooms and 4,800 hotels across nearly 100 countries. Its brands include Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn, Hotel Indigo, InterContinental and Staybridge Suites. Of the 4,602 hotels, 3,934 operate under franchise agreements, 658 are managed by the company but separately owned, and 10 are directly owned.
About Water Footprint Network
The Water Footprint Network was founded in 2008 to solve the world’s water crises by advancing fair and smart water use.
The network has over 200 partners from large companies to small-scale suppliers, financial institutions and regulatory bodies, non-profit organisations and academia.
It's continuous learning community shares the latest advances in knowledge, information and ideas to escalate change in river basins worldwide.
This news item was originally published on the website of the Water Footprint Network.
More information
Water Footprint Network
Enschede, the Netherlands
+31 53 489 53 83
www.waterfootprint.org
InterContinental Hotels Group
Denham, UK
+44 18 95 512 000
www.ihgplc.com