WORLDWIDE: Hospitality operator Bob W has developed a new emissions measurement methodology, which it says is a more accurate tracker than the world-respected HCMI method by the World Sustainable Hospitality Alliance and the WTTC.
Bob W says its new methodology, known as LEGIT (Lodging Emissions & Guest-night Impact Tracker) with consultancy Furthr, builds on the existing framework of HCMI and adds additional metrics for a “more accurate picture” of emissions.
The new methodology will be published on the Bob W website in the next few weeks. It will explain what is included in the per night emissions metric and what data needs to be gathered to replicate it, but it essentially adds to the Scope 3 emissions data for properties to more accurately measure their carbon emissions.
HCMI is a globally respected method of carbon measurement and is used across the World Sustainable Hospitality Alliance’s members of 66,000 hotels and 8 million rooms, including operators such as Hyatt, Marriott International and Scandic.
The free to use HCMI method for per night emissions, measures the carbon footprint of hotels’ operations, (Scope 1 and Scope 2). This includes electricity, gas, refrigerant gases and laundry services.
It also aims to help hotels comply with corporate sustainability goals and government regulations on carbon reporting for their operations, as well as to identify emission hotspots. It aligns with international carbon accounting standards and is available for all sizes of hotels across the globe.
Glenn Mandziuk CEO World Sustainable Hospitality Alliance said that HCMI is tailored specifically for hotel properties, and it accounts for unique factors like guest stays, conference spaces, and energy usage in a hospitality setting “offering a realistic carbon metrics per guest night or meeting space, which can be useful for sustainability reporting and benchmarking.”
Bob W says its free LEGIT model builds upon the framework of HCMI but also takes into consideration extra Scope 3 measurements, such as the environmental impact of construction materials, furniture and supplier emissions.
Paul Dunca, chief operating officer at Furthr said: “We looked at all emission sources that are directly related to a guest stay at an apartment, including water, waste, consumables which are Scope 3 emissions. We looked at the total space of the aparthotels including kitchens, bedrooms etc. Per night emissions for hotels would include emissions from communal spaces, if relevant. The HCMI metric looks at energy (Scopes 1 and 2), air con (Scope 1) and laundry (Scope 3). On top of this, we included other relevant Scope 3 categories including water, waste, consumables, FF&E, cleaning etc. So our methodology has more Scope 3 categories included.”
In November 2023 we reported on the global provider of serviced accommodation for business travellers, SilverDoor’s, new carbon emissions calculator which is based on the HCMI methodology and is also free to use.
Properties using SilverDoor’s carbon calculator input their emissions data and the technology calculates results per apartment type, whether it’s a studio, a one bed or two bed apartment, and so on. Since its launch in 2023 the SilverDoor Carbon Calculator now holds data for tens of thousands of apartment units in 28 countries worldwide.
We asked SilverDoor about Bob W’s new method, with the added Scope 3 metrics.
Victoria Jackson, head of communications, SilverDoor said: “We applaud the efforts of any individual operator who can offer a greater depth of accuracy on the carbon emissions of a stay in their apartments. We’ve always known that there are many factors that influence emissions, both in a hotel and a serviced apartment, and the further downstream you go into Scope 3, the more focus is required to access, measure and manage this data.”
Niko Karstikko, Bob W’s co-founder and CEO, says he wants operators to go further by using “more comprehensive measurement standards” and is calling for greater transparency in sharing environmental performance to both guests and the wider industry.
He said: “The lodging industry owes it to its guests to give the numbers upfront and our aim is to make per-night guest emissions as prominent as nutrition facts on the back of a cereal packet. Our work with Furthr suggests the true scale of the hotel sector’s environmental impact has been vastly underestimated.”
Bob W says its new methodology LEGIT has calculated an average carbon footprint 419 per cent higher than what the HCMI estimate would be – a five-fold increase.
As an example Bob W said its Koti Katajanokka building in Finland recorded an average of 1.48 KGs of CO₂ equivalent per night (kgCO₂e/night) using the HCMI methodology. However, when its LEGIT model was applied, the figure was 19.7 kgCO₂e/night.
Karstikko said: “For an industry that accounts for approximately 9 per cent of global carbon emissions, there can be no room for guesswork when it comes to assessing its true contribution. The disparity between our new methodology and others raises critical questions about the effectiveness of current sustainability strategies within the sector. Many operators could well be falling shorter than they realise in addressing the full scope of their emissions, especially indirect sources.”
The idea behind the HCMI carbon measurement methodology was that it was open source, available to everyone, and everyone would then be measuring, and reporting emissions the same way. With the LEGIT methodology entering the mix, how will it impact on the industry in terms of having a consistent way to measure and present data across the industry?
Furthr’s Dunca said: “The current standard for the industry to report per night emissions is to report using the HCMI methodology, which only includes energy, air con and laundry. Given that Bob W had data available relating to water, waste, consumables, FF&E, cleaning etc, which also contribute to emissions from guest stays, we decided to include these in our per night emissions to give a more complete picture of environmental impacts relating to a stay.
“We recognise and agree that there needs to be consistency in reporting in the industry in order for direct comparisons to be made and for guests to make informed choices, however we believe that more categories should be included in the per night metric to give guests the full picture of environmental impact.”
Glenn Mandziuk CEO World Sustainable Hospitality Alliance said the Alliance welcomes collaboration and progress across the industry and is continuing to future-proof its tools, hinting that new tools will be out in the next year, which will cover Scope 3 and third party verification – helping with further transparency across the industry.
Mandziuk said: “The Alliance brings the industry together to collaborate and we welcome innovation and the information shared. We are future-proofing all of our tools over the next year, having made significant investment and continue to do so. We developed the open-source methodology for the industry and transparency, third party verification and Scope 3 are fundamental to the new tools that will be coming out over the course of this year and 2026.”
SilverDoor’s Jackson added: “Our priority has always been to create a tool that was simple, accessible and inclusive for any operator: regardless of its size, location, the nature of its stock, or the resources at its disposal. We are confident – based on uptake and feedback – that we’ve got this balance right so far. But we’re learning all the time, and we welcome new methodologies that offer opportunities for greater insight and understanding for everyone – be that clients, agents, property operators or government.
“As reporting and data capture gets better across the whole supply chain, the ambition is that all our tools will become more refined and accurate. The Corporate Housing industry will only achieve collective success by sharing knowledge and understanding and working together to develop a simple, inclusive industry standard that clearly sets a bar for everyone to achieve a more sustainable approach to booking and managing accommodation.”
Bob W’s Karstikko said Bob W was eager to hear feedback from other operators about the LEGIT methodology and “invite open dialogue to refine and enhance it together. Collaboration is key to evolving this initiative into something truly impactful for the entire industry.”
The operator has committed to becoming a net-zero business by 2050 and its latest sustainability report has a detailed assessment of the operator’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions for its portfolio in 2023.
Bob W publishes its data per-night guest emission numbers on its booking website, app and as detailed in the company’s latest Sustainability Report, which you can download as a pdf on the Bob W website.
Photo by Jayasahan Hansana on Unsplash