WASHINGTON (Mar. 1, 2024) – The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) yesterday brought together hotel and sustainability leaders in Washington to highlight the hotel industry’s continued commitment and expanding set of programs regarding environmental sustainability at the second annual Responsible Stay Summit.
AHLA member companies are increasingly incorporating environmental goals into their business models. AHLA’s Responsible Stay Summit is designed to help hoteliers continue this work through exclusive discussions on topics like Environmental, Social, and Governance strategies, federal energy policy, and financing the green transition.
This year’s event highlighted two new developments that support these goals:
- AHLA and the Hotel Association of Canada announced a partnership to operate the Green Key Global hotel sustainability certification program in the U.S. and Canada.
- AHLA and Procure Impact launched a Dignity of Work Pledge aimed at creating 100,000 hours of paid employment for underserved populations, which supports responsible sourcing practices.
Speakers at this year’s summit included:
- Dan Feldman, partner, Covington, on ways to partner on ESG regulation
- Ben Feller, partner, Maslansky + Partners, on how to talk about ESG
- Greg Gershuny, executive director, energy and environment program, The Aspen Institute, on the future of energy
- Emily Kreps, global head of ESG and sustainable finance, Deutsche Bank, on financing the green transition
The summit was born out of AHLA’s Responsible Stay® initiative. Launched in 2022, Responsible Stay is a hotel-industry-wide commitment to strengthening sustainability that focuses on four core principles: energy efficiency, waste reduction, water conservation, and responsible sourcing.
AHLA offers a host of ways for hoteliers to take steps toward a more sustainable future. These include:
- Signing up here to enroll in the Green Key Global hotel sustainability certification program.
- Working with IncentiFind to identify and take advantage of financial incentives that support sustainability programs.
- Taking the Dignity of Work Pledge to source sustainable goods from underserved populations.
- Learning best practices for curbing food waste via Hotel Kitchen.
- Endorsing the Responsible Stay principles.
“AHLA is proud to host the inspiring Responsible Stay Summit, which is designed to help hoteliers build a more sustainable future for our guests, our industry, and our planet,” said AHLA President & CEO Chip Rogers. “Hoteliers can always count on AHLA for the latest sustainability tools, resources, and best practices in this fast-evolving field.”
