WORLDWIDE: Here are some common acronyms and phrases used when writing about sustainability in hospitality.
Alternative Energy or AE: Any energy that does not harm the environment or use up the Earth’s natural resources.
The Alliance: Sustainable Hospitality Alliance
BMS: Building Management System. Monitors, controls and reports on smart building technology systems to control heating ventilation, lighting systems and efficient water systems
BREEAM certification: Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method. Globally accepted as a certification process for a sustainably designed building since 1990. BREEAM has nine criteria including energy, health and wellbeing, ecology and waste. As part of the government’s Construction Strategy, it is now a requirement for all public projects to undergo an environmental assessment; achieving an Excellent BREEAM rating
BREEAM In-Use: With BREEAM In-Use the idea is assessing each property by its use. Property investors, owners, managers and occupiers determine how to drive sustainable improvements in the operational performance of the asset which means they can benchmark, and have validation of their operational data
Carbon Footprint: Emissions of greenhouse gases from an individual or business. Measured in tons. Most businesses are aiming to be carbon neutral by 2030-2050
Carbon Neutral: This is when a business achieves net-zero carbon emissions, which means it can offset or balance its carbon footprint or buy carbon credits to make up the difference
Carbon Offset: When you buy credits to offset or balance the carbon you are producing
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR): Where companies and businesses take on social and environmental concerns when planning their operations
Embodied Carbon: Carbon emissions which happen during the building, development or renovation of a building. This is by far the largest amount of carbon emissions to focus on when thinking about hotels – the operational carbon emissions are much smaller than embodied carbon
ESG: Environmental Social Governance – this phrase is all around us. It means a company has to be socially and environmentally responsible in its strategies and can be held to account by its own self governance
EMS: Environmental Management System
Green Building: Any building – hotel, school, house – that creates a positive impact on the environment with its design and construction and subsequent operations. There is no global standard but there is the World Green Building Council, which supports its members to help them create green buildings suited to the environment they are in
Greenwashing: A term used when companies suggest they are greener than they are to sell their products or services
GSAIR: Global Serviced Apartment Industry Report
GSTC: Global Sustainable Tourism Council
ISO17021: a standard created for assessing certification bodies to ensure that they are competent and that conform to all types of management systems
LEED certification: Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design is a globally recognized green building rating system. It’s been around since 2000 and is a bit like BREEAM. It provides a framework for being environmentally friendly, to produce lower carbon emissions and be healthier for people who use it and in the community
Net Zero carbon building: Highly energy efficient and powered from on-site and/or off-site renewable energy sources, with any remaining carbon balance offset.
Net Zero Water: When a building or community only used the water that falls on its location.
Paris Agreement: A legally binding international treaty on climate change. It was adopted by 196 Parties at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP21) in Paris, 2015.
SDGs: The UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals – urgent calls to action on climate, social and economic interest
Sustainability: Achieving an ecological balance in the natural environment as resources are used. Basically keeping at a level which is sustainable for the environment. Or according to the United Nations: meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
Zero Waste: When there is no waste – waste might be composted or reused or repurposed but nothing is thrown in landfill
