Environmental Protection:

Climate gas accounting for Choice Hotels Scandinavia

A pilot project was performed in 2008 to assemble a GHG account for Choice Hotels Scandinavia (Rønning and Brekke 2008). This paper presents how the account was made and the results from the undertaking. Considering the immaturity of both GHG accounting and environmental assessments in the service sector, the paper also aspires to contribute to methods development with regard to GHG accounting.
Choice Hotels Scandinavia, with its 149 hotels being one of the largest hotel chains in Scandinavia, has established an extensive strategy on sustainable business development. As a part of the strategy GHG accounting will be a basis for coal setting and will be included in the environmental management system presently implemented in the hotel chain. The purpose for performing the GHG account was to develop a prototype, test it on all hotels simultaneously, and gain experience from data collection and communication of results. The main focus has been on establishing the GHG account internally for the business at so and not for external communication of the service function they provide.

Considering the immaturity of both GHG accounting and environmental assessments in the service sector, the project also aspires to contribute to methods development with regard to GHG accounting.

The methodology and results from this project were presented at the conference Joint Action on Climate Change in Aalborg June 2009.