The World Travel & Tourism Council and Biosphere have initiated a significant agreement to promote standardised sustainability in the hotel sector, affecting over 2,500 properties globally.
- This collaboration aims to align sustainability practices with the United Nations’ 17 sustainable development goals.
- The initiative will integrate WTTC’s sustainability verification with Biosphere’s methodology to create an international framework.
- Key leaders express optimism about this move pioneering a unified vision for sustainability in hospitality.
- This partnership marks a pivotal moment in creating globally recognised and achievable sustainability standards.
In a groundbreaking move, the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) and the sustainability management system Biosphere have signed an agreement set to affect over 2,500 hotel properties worldwide. This initiative focuses on promoting a standardised approach to sustainability within the hotel industry, marking a significant step towards achieving global sustainability goals.
The collaboration is designed to enable the transition from basic sustainability criteria to advanced global standards, directly aligned with the 17 sustainable development goals and 169 targets set forth by the United Nations. Central to this effort is the integration of WTTC’s sustainability basics verification with Biosphere’s comprehensive methodology, intended to forge the most thorough international framework for sustainability in hotels.
Julia Simpson, the president and CEO of WTTC, emphasised the importance of this partnership, describing it as a ‘fundamental step towards international standardisation in sustainability’. She highlighted that this collaboration creates a ‘clear and homogeneous pathway for the industry,’ underscoring its potential to harmonise sustainability efforts across the globe.
Tomás de Azcarate Bang, president of the Responsible Tourism Institute, supported this sentiment by asserting that for sustainability to be universally viable, it must be ‘understandable and achievable’. The agreement, he noted, focuses on the harmonisation of languages and processes, thereby establishing a stable international framework that aligns with existing sustainability models.
This partnership between WTTC and Biosphere signifies a milestone in the hospitality sector by paving the way for a solid international playbook. The aim is to synchronise approaches and invite all relevant stakeholders to align with these comprehensive sustainability models, ensuring a cohesive and far-reaching impact.
This strategic partnership is set to revolutionise sustainability standards in the global hotel industry, driving consistent and unified practices.
