Green Pearls hotels’ creative approaches of carbon reduction

In times of Diesel scandals and Green Washing, when Earth Over Shoot Day already takes place in August and the repercussions of climate change become visible, there comes the time, where transparency and an alternate way of using resources are becoming more and more important. Even though the world’s CO2 emissions didn’t increase over the past few years, it really should be decreasing tremendously. Researchers suggest a halving of CO2 emissions every 10 years. Then there would be a realistic chance for the world economy to be climate neutral by 2050.

Today it’s about CO2 emissions and various approaches of the Green Pearls hotels when it comes to measuring, reducing and compensating these. Further, the hotels show how creativity and will power make it possible to be climate neutral or even climate positive when running a hotel. You might say, they’re a true inspiration to all of us.

CO2 neutral in the rainforest

The Inkaterra Asociación (ITA) in Peru saved a great amount of 15,000 hectares of the rainforest from deforestation. The forest itself helps with CO2 sequestration and in the same manner also provides a neutralization of emissions. In 1989 the University of Leeds and the Rainfor Project invented a “Carbon Monitoring” program containing four permanent measuring points oneach hectare of the Inkaterra Reserva Amazónica in Tambopata. With the help of different methods in the ground as well as in vegetation it is possible to capture the carbonization. In total an average amount of 200 tons CO2 per hectare can be sequested. Every three years researchers from the University of Leeds measure the CO2 content. Additionally a permanent measuring point can be found at the University of Agraria La Molina in Lima. According to current measurements and calculations, a total of three tons of carbon were successfully absorbed in the forests of the ITA. That makes the Inkaterra group carbon neutral.

Solar energy whenever possible 

At CGH Earth in India a variety of methods is tested and applied in order to find resource friendly and natural solutions. Not only energy efficiency is measured here, solar energy is also a great factor. The Spice Village was able to reduce the usage of other energy sources by 50% with the help of a photovoltaic system. Asia’s largest solar boat floats on the many streams and rivers at the Coconut Lagoon. The “Surya” is able to transport 35 people for over ten hours. And another advantage: guests are free to discover the country without feeling guilty about emissions or noise.

Saving and balancing

Reduction and compensation of CO2 emissions are key at the the Hotel Niedersachsen on the island of Sylt. Not only does Germany’s first four storey wooden house belong to the hotel, it also uses geothermal energy and since 2016 even from its own cogeneration unit for heating. Even electricity is produced out of 100% hydropower. Therefore the CO2 emissions were successfully reduced drastically over the past 15 years: only 8.69 kg CO2 resultfrom one guest spending a night, having breakfast plus extras. To compare: the usual emissions in other hotels come to 30-35 kg CO2. But that’s not all: as a climate friendly hotel the Hotel Niedersachsen compensates all of the other emissions that do occur, over the climate protection project “water preparation in West Kenia”. Starting in 2017, the hotel will also bear the costs of the compensation for the guest’s journey.

The Hotel Speicher, being the first climate neutral hotel in Mecklenburg- Vorpommern, has a similar strategy. Energy savings have lead to a reduction to 12.93 kg CO2 per person and further possibilities for saving are always being worked on. Also, the emissions that do arise, are being composted through a reforestation project in Panama.