SCANDINAVIA: Scandic has recertified all of its previously ecolabeled hotels according to the Nordic Swan Ecolabel’s new, tougher environmental requirements.
The Nordic Swan Ecolabel is the official environmental certification in the Nordic countries. It updates its requirements every four years, and the most recent update in 2023 included higher environmental goals.
More than 88 per cent of Scandic’s hotels are ecolabeled and the company is continuing its efforts to ensure that all hotels are certified by the Nordic Swan Ecolabel.
To continue to be certified, Scandic’s ecolabeled hotels have now undergone a the recertification process where each hotel must meet all of the Nordic Swan Ecolabel’s strict limit values for energy, water, waste and chemicals, as well as organic food and drinks.
To retain certification, ecolabeled hotels must also undergo annual follow-ups and team member training.
Scandic began working with the Nordic Swan Ecolabel in the 1990s to get help and guidance in reducing its environmental impact. Between 1996, when Scandic started its sustainability reporting, and 2022, the company reduced water use per guest night by 32 per cent, energy use per guest night by 31 per cent and CO2e emissions per guest night by 65 per cent.
It achieved this by installing water-efficient fixtures, switching to 100 per cent renewable energy for electricity, using energy efficient lighting and implementing various technical solutions for energy and heat optimisation.
Behavioral changes have also contributed to Scandic’s reduced impact. These include team member training and encouraging guests to make conscious choices.
Jens Mathiesen, CEO of Scandic Hotels Group said: “At Scandic, we’ve integrated sustainability as part of our strategy, so it’s natural for us to monitor our initiatives and demonstrate how they make a difference for our guests, our team members and society at large.
“Recertifying our ecolabeled hotels is critical to guarantee that we can offer our guests services certified by the toughest environmental labeling.”
Scandic has also been looking at its suppliers and items such as TVs, beds and cleaning and laundry products are environmentally certified.
To be certified by the Nordic Swan Ecolabel, a hotel must serve a certain percentage of organic food and beverages, purchase ecolabeled furniture and textiles, use only environmentally friendly chemicals for cleaning, dishwashing and laundry, reduce water consumption, energy use and waste, and have clear, transparent environmental goals.
Currently, 87 of Scandic’s hotels in Sweden, 30 in Denmark, 45 in Finland and 76 in Norway are ecolabeled and all of these have now been recertified according to the Nordic Swan Ecolabel’s new requirements.
This year Scandic will also launch Nordic Swan Ecolabel certification at its hotels in Germany and Poland.
Scandic’s ambition is for all hotels operating under the Scandic brand to be certified by the Nordic Swan Ecolabel. At minimum, all hotels must comply with the Nordic Swan Ecolabel limit values for energy consumption per square meter, unsorted waste, water consumption and ecolabeled chemicals for cleaning, laundry and washing dishes.
Figures are based on development per guest night from when Scandic began sustainability reporting in 1996 up to 2022. This reporting includes all of the company’s hotels and refers to water and energy consumption, waste and CO2e emissions.
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