In April 2022, Radisson Hotel Group (RHG), together with the WTTC, top brands, associations, and destinations in the industry representing over 50,000 hotels, launched Hotel Sustainability Basics (Basics), a common and inclusive definition of hotel sustainability to drive responsible travel & tourism. Developed by the industry, for the industry, Hotel Sustainability Basics establishes a globally recognized set of 12 minimum indicators that all hotels should implement and sets a common definition of hotel sustainability to drive responsible travel and tourism, which will help raise the base level of sustainability across the entire hospitality industry by providing every hotel with a verified starting point for their sustainability journey. 

Hotel Sustainability Basics is underpinned by a solid verification scheme with two prominent and recognized partners, Green Key and SGS. To ensure the validity of the program, the verification scheme has been endorsed by the GSTC and key destinations such as Azerbaijan, Madagascar, Phuket, Zürich, Colombia, and is a solid and accessible online system for hotels to provide proof points they are implementing the Basics. Verification is a requirement for hotels to obtain the Hotel Sustainability Basics logo and recognition and holds hotels accountable as a binding commitment and required actions.

The Basics’ 12 criteria focus on actions which are fundamental to hotel sustainability and address tourism’s impact across a spectrum of critical issues, and are grouped into three areas: Efficiency, Planet and People. These criteria include actions to measure and reduce energy use, to measure and reduce water use, to identify and reduce waste, to measure and reduce carbon emissions, to eliminate the use of single use plastic water bottles, plastic straws, and stirrers, to implement a linen reuse program, to use green cleaning products, to offer vegetarian options, to contribute positively to the community, and to reduce inequalities.
In line with the 12 criteria, RHG’s Responsible Business targets include its commitment to Net zero by 2050 based on approved near term Science based targets and validated by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), initiatives focused on the development of a renewable energy pathway, comprehensive Build Planet guidelines to transition its portfolio to green hotel buildings, the use of green cleaning products, the elimination of plastic straws, stirrers, and single-use plastic water bottles, and the implementation of bulk amenity dispensers, in addition to other measures which benefit local communities. Radisson Hotel Group has committed to implement the Hotel Sustainability Basics across its portfolio by 2024.