December Issue 2019

Vol. 3 ISSUE 10 December 2019

POLICY PRIME MOVERS POLICIES INTRODUCED IN 2019 BY THE WATER CONSERVATION TOURISM MINISTRY BEYOND THE FERN With huge amount being sanctioned to various policies across different parts Through a recent collaboration with Drop For H&FS | Identity design of , it is imperative for the tourism and hospitality players to understand Dead Foundation, The Fern took care the utility of the policies. Listed here are a few that may cover your issue... of water usage not just in their properties 10 but also went house to house... 07

PRAISE PRECEDENT PRAISE REVELS SPICE VILLAGE-ROLE THIS COM- IN BUILDING ECOFRIEN- MODEL FOR RES- MUNITY IN UTTARA- DLY CHRISTMAS TREES! PONSIBLE TOURISM KHAND PRIORITI Crowne Plaza builds Christmas Tree from Think Global, Act Local - Lesson worth SES NATURE OVER waste, discarded items every year. Here’s learning from this community of GUESTS..! how the bottled-tree looked this year…15 responsible hoteliers in Kerala... 04 05

Await our January Edition to find out about ’ Greenest Hotels

www.greenotels.com sky. The movement’s main messengers were envi- Our aim has been to make GreenOtels as 2019 IN REVIEW collaborative as possible, believing that a ronmentalists and climate activists. diversity of perspectives enriches the work. 2019 was marked by travel and hospitality we have reached out to experts, to Today, clean energy is recognized as an economic industries’ strong contribution to the professionals and promoters in hospitality as driver. The private and public sectors are embrac- economy, rising global consumer purchasing well as companies engaged in sustainable ing it not only because of environmental concerns, power, and digital innovation being fueled in development to help make the big shift but also because it’s a smart economic move. the record of its growth. The year marked the towards a sustainable future. establishment of some strong policies by the Minakshi Agarwal ministry. And also, the birth of ‘values’ that KNOWLEDGE ASSOCIATES If I was to look at India and our hotels then here hold the players of these industries account- Bharat Malkani, E.C. FHRAI too we did receive over a 130 applicants for the able for the conservation of natural resources, CB Ramkumar, Our Native Village GreenOtels Awards which in itself was so hugely preservation of India’s cultural diversity and Garish Oberoi, President, FHRAI It’s the end of a decade and the start of a new encouraging for us because these hotel business- heritage, and factors similar that directly and Niranjan Khatri, iSambhav dawn, we hope. es did find reasons to become environmentally indirectly lead to the development of Tourism Param Kanampilly, Concept Hospitality and Hospitality Industries. Below are some of efficient. Can they do better? Of course they can Sanjay Sethi, ITC Hotels these major inceptions of 2019 that include Steve Borgia, President, ESOI In the decade we leave behind — 2010-2019 — - they must! Some of these hotels may not know - facts, policies, trends that carve our way the world, it would seem, has unravelled; come what to do and how to become even more effi- forward. ADVISORY PANEL apart; our leaders are diminished; our economies cient - so for us at GreenOtels - 2020 will be the Amitab Tyagi, The are in trouble; and, there is conflict and strife year to intensify training and carrying out technical During January-July 2019, Foreign Tourist Arun Bahadur, The Oberoi Hotels Arrivals were 60.84 lakh with the growth of everywhere we look. In this decade, we have re- workshops across India. 2020 will also be a year Ashish Rakheja, AEON Consultants 2.1 per cent. In July 2019, Foreign Exchange alised that climate change is not in the distant fu- for us to solidify the formation and functioning of HC Vinayaka, ITC Hotels Earnings were Rs 1,34,689 crore with the Sanjeev Saxena, DLF Home Developers ture. It is happening and its impact will only grow. Sustainable Tourism Council of India (STCI) so that growth of 7.2 per cent from July 18-July 19. Shankareswaran Jayaraj, Reliance we could play an integral role in advocating and Sunil Relia, JLL Building Operations A five-year tax holiday has been offered for 2, Every year in this decade has broken a new bringing in corrective measures at the policy level. Vikram Choubal, record — the highest heat and the most extreme 3 and 4-star category hotels located around UNESCO World Heritage sites; except for in BENGALURU weather. Wildfires consumed vast parts of the Climate change is not a problem that can be Delhi and . Amazon and Arctic alike. Greenhouse gas emis- solved or mitigated enough by individual behavior. Bhaskar Masineni, The Leela Palace sions continued to rise, but President Trump We can’t fix this alone. We can’t all do everything. Millenials are turning heads to Sustainable Jagadish Itagi, The Ritz Carlton Murali Panicker, Taj Bangalore served notice to quit the Paris climate agreement. But, we can all do one thing. So just pick one Stay-cations, and so are corporate travellers. Ravindra Singh, ITC Gardenia The latest United Nations climate talks produced thing — whether it’s eating less red meat, or com- Green design saw its foundation in the layout one of the worst outcomes in 25 years, with the posting, or riding your bike to work, or cleaning up of hotels. 2019 was just a start! N Ramamoorthy, ITC Grand Chola Hotel biggest polluters blocking even the suggestion of plastic litter in your community, or buying second- HYDERABAD more ambitious targets. And as I write this, all my hand clothing — and actually do it. India had been placed at 34th position out Ashok Hemrajani, Minerva Group friends shivering in the severe winters of Delhi and of 140 economies, in the World Economic Sharique Khurshid, Taj Krishna DELHI Northern parts of India will find it difficult to believe Maybe it will remind you that the most important Forum’s ‘World Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Rank’ in 2019. Anil Kumar, The Imperial change we can make as individuals is to stay fo- that this decade has been the warmest on record. Rahul Prabhakar, ITC Maurya cused on all the work that still needs to be done. Under Swadesh Darshan Scheme, the Rothin Banerjee, Taj Palace True, there is no shortage of stories and trend The work that all of us — particularly companies Ministry of Tourism marked 15 Theme based Suman Majumder, Regency lines that are distressing, to say the least. But let’s and countries — need to do together to sidestep circuits for development. JAIPUR not dwell on those for the moment. catastrophe. M Kannan, Oberoi Rajvilas “Incredible India Helpline” launched to guide Ranjeet Yadav, ITC Rajputana the tourer during their stay. e-Visa was Anupam Vivek, Jai Mahal Palace Instead, let’s stop and celebrate progress in the For each one of us 2020 will bring in different launched for citizens of 44 countries to MUMBAI clean economy and sustainable business, and all challenges and opportunities but we must know reduce the time of application for tourists. Ajay Nayak, ITC Maratha of the committed and largely unsung profession- that what we do over the next 10 years may well Neeraj Kaushik, Renaissance als who made them happen. determine our collective fates for the next 100 Public Service Delivery System launched. Nilesh Mhatre, JW Marriott years. Prashant Pawar, Oberoi Hotels & Resorts Flip pages to read more...We’ve covered Prashant Vaidya, Hotel At the start of the decade, solar, wind and energy PRIME MOVERS

PREVIEW note-worthy stories, for you! storage technologies largely were dismissed as Let’s get to work... being fringe, not cost-competitive and pie-in-the Write to me at [email protected] PERSPECTIVE

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For H&FS | Identity design be more and that true luxury is an experience CLEAN GREEN rooted in simplicity and soul, transcending GREEN PEOPLES’ GOAT VILLAGE PRIORI- EARTH HOTELS’ mere form and ostentation.” TISES NATURE OVER GUESTS - CHECK OUT Clean Green Earth Hotels’ Spice Village is SPICE VILLAGE one such example of eco friendly property. THEIR ZERO TOLERANCE POLICY. Spice Village was established in 1991 and was built by the local Mannan in their tradi- DEFINES tional style using split bamboo and elephant grass; the latter gathered with permission RESPONSIBLE from the forest, the removal of the grass reducing fire risk. Earthen clay tiles were used TOURISM to construct the floors and the furniture of pine was and is made locally from recycled Clean Green Earth Hotels have been pio- packing crates. Rainwater harvesting, solar neers in environmental, social and economic lighting and hot water heating, biogas made sustainability and have developed a series of from kitchen waste used for cooking, drink- destination experiences in sixteen boutique ing water purified on site, local activities in resorts all of which respect nature, build with the community, water from the sewage social relationships with their neighbours and treatment plant used to water the grounds – through their neighbours participation and they have been thorough in their approach to their insights and inspiration, create unique sustainability and created a great guest ex- and memorable experiences. Early adopters perience. The food, recipes and décor are all of Responsible Tourism they have created local, the employees are drawn from neigh- experiences that pay “homage to nature and bouring villages and particular efforts have engage closely with local people and their been made to recruit female staff by creating cultures.” They have proved that “less can a comfortable; working environment for them. PRECEDENT

The Goat Village is a traditionally curated and Moreover, their message to the visitors is crafted heaven in the hills of Garhwal. The simple and direct - cottages are cozy and beautifully done up by “The Goat Village and all Green People ini- the local artisans using only locally available tiatives are high on environment integrity. We materials; keeping the spirit of GreenPeo- have a zero tolerance policy towards plastic ple’s mission from diluting. 10 neat Garhwali or any sort of littering on the property. We cottages best suited for travelers wishing to are good if the litter is biodegradable but do experience the local way of life are designed not allow plastic waste in any form. It is an to cover the basics and provide for an excel- earnest request that you carry such waste lent living experience. back with you. Running amok is just fine with us. So is a good laugh but try and maintain The property serves local delicacies and rely harmony with nature without disrupting the on Garhwali kitchen staff to bring together rhythm we are trying to preserve. With all local flavors. All the produce used for cooking those thoughts and promises in place, have a

PRAISE purposes is sourced locally. pleasant stay!”

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For H&FS | Identity design food-processing plants are heavily dependent IF YOU THINK on non-renewable energy sources, such as THE FERN HOTELS petroleum. Sustainable food farmers and pro- ORGANIC FOOD IS cessors favor the use of renewable energy, COLLABORATES knowing that non-renewable energy is finite THE SAME AS and won’t go on forever. A sustainable food WITH DROP DEAD system may rely partially on alternative energy sources such as wind, solar, or water-based SUSTAINABLE power. FOUNDATION TO

FOOD, GIVE THIS A Sustainable Is Low Emission CHAMPION THE If your goal is to help lower emissions, then READ! local, sustainably grown food, not organic CAUSE OF WATER food, is your best bet. Organic certification does not cover issues such as fossil fuel Here are eight major differences between usage in food production or transport. Many CONSERVATION sustainably grown food and certified organic organic food growers and companies ship food. organic food products thousands of miles Celebrating its 10th year, The Fern Hotels has from farm to warehouse to store and else- teamed up with an accomplished environ- Fern and Mr. Surti will go home to home of Sustainable Is Unofficial but Measurable where. Ideally, locally grown organic food is mentalist Aabid Surti, Founder of Drop Dead common people, wherever The Fern is pres- “Sustainably grown,” on the other hand, is not optimal for health and low emissions. In terms Foundation and National Geographic Traveller ent and will repair taps, leaks for free of cost. a certified label, nor is it governed by any kind of fossil fuel use only, though, organics can’t India to help save as much water as possible. of official policy. Instead, most people consid- usually compete with locally grown sustain- So far, the campaign has spread to Hyder- er sustainability a philosophy that describes able food, unless an alternative fuel is used Drop Dead Foundation and Fern Hotels share abad, Jaipur, and Ranthambore after it was planet-protective methods that can be contin- for transport trucks. a common goal of saving the environment. initiated in Mumbai, and their modus operandi is as effective as it is simple! ued indefinitely, without causing damage to Thus, thus through this collaboration, The PRIME MOVERS the environment. That said, while you can’t Sustainable Is More Humane officially label a food product as “sustainable,” In a sustainable livestock system, a farmer that doesn’t mean sustainable farming is considers the well-being of livestock and will just a philosophy. Sustainable practices are provide ample outdoor space so that animals observable and measurable via economic can root, peck, and graze naturally. A sustain- profit, social benefits for the community, and able farm provides a more comfortable indoor environmental conservation. space as well. Human treatment of animals is something any farmer may or may not Sustainable Is Small choose to implement, but organic certification Less is almost always more sustainable than alone certainly won’t ensure decent animal more, no matter if you’re dealing with the treatment. stuff you own, the size of your hotel\, or yes, even the size of your farmland. A sustainable Sustainable Is Eco-Friendly Packaging farmer may own less land and grow diverse Sustainable packaging uses the least amount crops to help enhance the soil and conserve of resources necessary. Ideally, sustainable land resources. A sustainable farmer might packaging should be 100% recyclable, also experiment with vertical planting or allow compostable, or biodegradable and printed LISU LODGE IN THAILAND UNDERSTANDS animals to graze on cropland to save space. with eco-friendly inks as well. Not all certified organic food is packaged in such a sustain- HOW INSTRUMENTAL HOTELS ARE IN Sustainable Is Water Efficient able manner. Sustainable farming and processing methods LOCAL COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT prioritize water conservation. Sustainable Sustainable Extends Beyond the Food farming methods may include using reclaimed True sustainability extends beyond basic In the lush valley of Chiang Mai, the Lisu dies, guests can embark on a cycle tour water for some crops, planting drought-tol- farming goals into management and individual Lodge gets its name from the nearby Lisu and stop at a tea plantation for a cup of erant crop species, or using reduced-volume goals and lifestyle choices. Organic policy tribe village. As part of a community-based fresh-roasted tea. Or, get their hands dirty irrigation systems. doesn’t cover much in terms of full-company project aimed at conserving Thailand’s restoring the forest ecosystem at the or full-farm sustainability but a truly sustain- heritage, guests can experience Lisu customs Himmapaan plant nursery working with the Sustainable Is Energy Efficient able business attempts to be eco-friendly in with local families. local community. And indulge in a

POINTER Most modern farms, even organic farms and many ways, not simply in how it grows food. traditional Thai dinner in the woven bamboo

PLANET POST From the cottage overlooking the rice pad- walled lodge.

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For H&FS | Identity design representing Association of Domestic Tour INTERNATIONAL Operators of India, Arjit Purkayastha - a leading Tour Operator of the North East TOURISM MART Region and Swadesh Kumar - President, Adventure Tour Operators Association of 2019 FOCUSES India deliberated on “Sustainable Tourism as an engine for Economic Growth and ON SUSTAINABLE Employment” for years to come. The panelists were of the opinion that all th North Eastern states must focus on delivering TOURISM sustainable tours, products and services.

The 8th International Tourism Mart (ITM) 2019 North East of India resides in the lap of nature recently held at Imphal from the 23th to the and highly value their resources. These states 25th of November, 2019 witnessed the aim at invoking the same level of respect for participation of 34 foreign delegates from over nature amongst tourists who wish to visit KHAJURAHO’S EARTH FRIENDLY HOTEL - 19 countries along with 49 domestic ithese lands; thus making sure they do not THE SARAI delegates representing the travel industry. cause harm to the beauty of the region. In the event, a panel discussion was The start of this vision was seen at ITM, at Thick mud walls create traditional village style buildings with eight unexpectedly elegant interiors. The moderated by the Rupinder Brar, Additional the exhibition by the North East State Tourism rooms are designed to preclude the need for energy-intensive heating and cooling. The walls, Director General, Ministry of Tourism, Departments wherein local handicrafts, hand- constructed of mud and thatch, are two feet thick stabilising the ambient temperature. The windows Government of India wherein eminent looms and tourism products of the North East Region were promoted. are positioned for light and to create a cross breeze when open. Much of the grounds comprises panelists comprising of Chetan Gupta - PROGRESS grassland and an area of wild tree cover to provide a diverse habitats for birds. The Sarai has set menus to reduce food waste, and guest soaps and shampoos are sourced from a local women’s co-operative. The Sarai provides accommodation for travellers visiting Khajuraho and the Panna Tiger Reserve. This is an example of an earth-friendly accommodation which provides high-quality

PRECEDENT accommodation for sightseeing travellers in Madhya Pradesh as well as being a destination in itself.

foremost generation source, claims the CAN WE MEET THE report. PARIS CLIMATE TARGETS?

A key finding of a new report from Irena Images is that an accelerated deployment of renewables, combined with deep electrification and increased energy efficiency can achieve over 90% of the energy related CO2 emissions reductions needed by 2050 to set the world on an energy pathway towards meeting the Paris goals!

Ramping up offshore and onshore wind power generation is now not just possible at scale, but a vast opportunity to be embraced by countries, companies and investors alike.

Wind power could cover more than one third

PRIORITY of global power needs, becoming the world’s

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For H&FS | Identity design and lets the young travelers be as they like, 6,882 CRORE and products through Incredible India 2.0 MILLENNIAL however they are. Most hostels have plenty of Campaign. common spaces where travelers from all over SANCTIONED: TRAVELLERS the world interact with each other, exchang- 7) Providing facility of E-Visa for 5 sub - ing stories from around the world. And at POLICIES categories i.e. e-Tourist visa, e-Business visa, CHOOSE night, even when it’s quiet outside, inside the e-Medical visa, e-Medical Attendant visa and hostel things are bright, jubilant and cheerful. e-Conference visa for nationals of 169 And all of this at pocket-friendly prices. More- INTRODUCED countries. ‘HOSTELS’ OVER over, At a time when most of us are losing our cultural identities, staying in a hostel is per- BY MINISTRY OF 8) Revamp of Incredible India Website having HOTELS haps the best way to get a first hand experi- information on tourism sites/destinations in ence of the local culture of a place. Because TOURISM IN 2019 different States/Union Territory Gone are the days when travellers didn’t hostels have tour guides who will be happy administrations. have too many options available. Thanks to to take you exploring to the lesser-known, digitization and exposure, people are familiar non-commercialized areas of a city. Ministry of Tourism works in close 9) Launch of the Incredible India Tourist with the concept of staying at a hostel, also collaboration with various stakeholders for Facilitator Program on an online digital known as backpacker hostels, as opposed These days, hostels such as Zostel, Back- the development of tourism in the country. platform to provide basic, advanced and to a hotel. More and more people now want packer Panda, Stops Hostel, Moustache - to The promotion of tourist destinations and refresher courses for tourist facilitators. more than just going to a clichéd place, tak- name a few have started to efficiently contrib- products is primarily the responsibility of the ing a few photos, eating some local cuisine, ute their bit in the space of sustainability. They concerned State Governments/Union 10) E-Visa has been further liberalized and the and coming back home. understand that the millenials - their prime Territory administrations. However, the visa fee has been substantially reduced. audience pay attention to how environmental- Ministry of Tourism promotes India as a Hostels give youngsters precisely a perfect ly friendly a property is. And thus, add anoth- holistic destination including the historical 11) New mountain peaks have been opened balance between privacy and a sense of er reason for millenials to choose hostels over significance of various tourism sites to boost for mountaineering and trekking to boost

PLANET POST comfort. The environment is always safe, hotels. tourism in the country. Several initiatives and adventure tourism in the country. programs implemented throughout the country in the year 2019 are: 12) Lowering of GST on hotels rooms with tariffs of INR 1,001 to 7,500/night to 12% 1) Launched the Swadesh Darshan Scheme and that above Rs. 7,501 to 18% to increase with a vision to develope theme - based India’s competitiveness as a tourism tourist circuits. destination.

2) Launched the National Mission on A total of 77 projects amounting to INR Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual, 6035.70 crore and 28 projects amounting to Heritage Augmentation Drive (PRASHAD) Rs. 846.54 crore have been sanctioned Scheme for the holistic development of under Swadesh Darshan Scheme and identified pilgrimage destinations. Prashad Schemes respectively. Moreover, 26 Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) 3) Launched the Adopt a Heritage Project have been signed to date under ‘Adopt a for development and maintenance of tourist Heritage’ scheme. amenities at heritage sites/monuments and other tourist sites. This information was given by the Minister of State of Culture and Tourism, Prahlad Singh 4) Development and promotion of ‘niche Patel in a written reply in the Lok Sabha on tourism’ products to attract tourists with November 9, 2019. specific interest and to ensure repeat visits for the unique products in which India has a Indus Dictum reported earlier that in a move comparative advantage. to boost tourism in Southern India, the Karnataka State Tourism Development 5) Launched 24×7 toll-free multi-lingual tourist Corporation (KSTDC) has signed an MoU helpline. with IRCTC to run the Golden Chariot Train. IRCTC is planning a revamp of the train itin- 6) Promoting India as a holistic tourism eraries, as also to add different flavours that Karnataka has to offer.

POLICY destination including its various tourism sites

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For H&FS | Identity design well as by maximising recycling also under construction at Amritsar, Guntur HIGHLIGHTS FROM ITC has also adopted several initiatives to mit- and Bhubaneswar. igate the adverse impacts of climate change Accordingly, ITC is working towards optimis- ITC HOTELS’ which includes large scale afforestation inter- ing packaging design as well as in identifying ITC’s Hotels Business remains amongst ventions, climate-smart agriculture initiatives alternative packaging solutions that permit the fastest growing hospitality chains in the SUSTAINAIBILITY and watershed stewardship programmes easier recycling. The Company is also work- country with over 105 properties under four besides continuously striving to reduce spe- ing towards establishing scalable, replicable distinct brands - ‘ITC Hotel’ in the luxury cific energy and water consumption within and sustainable models of municipal solid segment, ‘WelcomHotel’ in the upper-upscale REPORT 2019 its units. With water scarcity increasingly waste management based on circular econo- segment, ‘Fortune’ in the mid-market to up- becoming an area of concern, ITC continues my principles scale segment and ‘WelcomHeritage’ in the In the 16th edition of ITC’s Sustainability Re- to focus on an integrated water management leisure and heritage segment port encapsulates ITC’s superior Triple Bot- approach that aspires to ensure water secu- Towards this, ITC’s flagship initiative “Wellbe- tom Line Performance and pro-active action rity in the catchment areas of its operations. ing out of Waste” (WOW), focuses on pro- The Business continues to focus on strength- in contributing meaningfully to sustainable The initiatives include large scale water con- moting awareness, segregation, collection ening the equity and differentiation of the and inclusive development. The Theme of the servation measures and rainwater harvesting and recycling of municipal solid waste across ITC Hotels brand anchored on unique and Report “Enterprise of Tomorrow” reflects ITC’s initiatives in and around its Units. the entire value chain. WOW contributes by path-breaking ‘Responsible Luxury’ initia- commitment to build a future ready enterprise not only ensuring that lesser waste goes to tives, culinary excellence and personalisation that pursues competitive growth even as it This initiative has generated over 6 million landfills, but also by enabling larger value of guest services through hotels that are the enriches the environment and creates oppor- person-days of employment within project vil- recovery from waste, in the process creating truest representation of the region’s culture tunities for sustainable livelihoods. lages, reducing levels of distress migration. In sustainable livelihoods for waste collectors and ethos. The Business continued to receive addition, a pilot programme at scale on ‘wa- and rag-pickers. These models operate on several international and domestic accolades Leveraging the Company’s enterprise ter use efficiency in agriculture’ is also being a public-private partnership basis with active during the year. The Travel+Leisure magazine strengths and its large presence in rural com- promoted to enable effective demand-side involvement of Urban Local Bodies, Civil So- acknowledged ITC Hotels as the ‘Best Luxury munities, ITC has over the years designed management. This initiative has yielded water ciety and the informal segment of waste col- Hotel Chain’, ITC Kohenur as ‘the Best New and implemented large scale programmes to savings of 20% to 45% in crops like Sugar- lectors. Today, the benefits of this programme Luxury Hotel (Editor’s Choice Award)’ and ITC replenish and enrich the environment, cre- cane, Wheat, Rice and Banana. This points extend to over 89 lakh citizens in the country. Grand Bharat Retreat as ‘the Best Luxury Re- ate sustainable livelihoods, empower local to the huge potential for reducing water sort - Domestic’ at the ‘India’s Best Awards communities and address the challenges of consumption in agriculture, a critical issue for Going further, ITC has recently launched a 2018’. ITC Grand Bharat Retreat was ranked climate change. Indian farmers. ITC continues to enhance its first-of-its kind model for sustainable man- amongst the Top 50 resorts in Asia by Conde carbon sequestering potential through social agement of MultiLayered Plastic (MLP) Nast Traveller USA. ITC’s effort to align national priorities, needs and farm forestry initiatives. packaging waste in Pune in partnership with of local communities and high-impact ini- SWaCH, a leading waste-pickers cooperative Today, ITC is the country’s leading FMCG tiatives through the establishment of robust The Company has significantly scaled up its and with active patronage and cooperation marketer, a pre-eminent hotel chain and business models have resulted in more afforestation programme over the years which from the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC). a trailblazer in green hoteliering, the clear sustainable, scalable and replicable solutions. currently covers 7,30,000 acres and has Leveraging the expertise resident in the ITC market leader in the Indian paperboard and These together make a meaningful contribu- generated over 135 million person-days of Life Sciences and Technology Centre, viable packaging industry, a pioneer in farmer and tion to improving the quality of life of people employment. options have been found to convert multi rural empowerment through its Agri Business, in rural India whilst also enriching the natural layered plastic waste into useful items of and a global exemplar in sustainable busi- resource base. ITC has also developed an Agro-Forestry consumption. Efforts are underway to scale ness practices. ITC Infotech, a wholly owned model which allows pulpwood and agricultur- this up and replicate this model in other parts subsidiary, has established itself as a leading This symphony of efforts has led ITC to al crops to be grown simultaneously without of the country. global technology services and solutions or- achieve the unique environmental distinction impacting wood productivity, thus ensur- ganisation through industry specific business

of being carbon positive for 14 years in a row, ing food, wood and fodder security. Over In view of the long-term potential of the Indian solutions. PRIME MOVERS water-positive for 17 consecutive years and 1.12 lakh acres have been covered under hospitality sector, ITC remains committed solid waste recycling positive for the last 12 Agro-Forestry. to enhancing the scale of the business by years. In India, where livelihood generation is adopting an ‘asset-right’ strategy that en- an urgent priority, ITC’s businesses and value ITC’s integrated waste management ap- visages building world-class tourism assets chains have created sustainable livelihoods proach addresses the challenge of waste for the nation and growing the footprint of for over 6 million people, embracing the through several initiatives both inside its oper- managed properties by leveraging its hotel weakest in society. ations as well as externally through extensive management expertise. During the year, the outreach programmes. These large scale Business commissioned ITC Kohenur, Hyder- ITC pioneered the green building movement interventions have enabled ITC to be solid abad. The Business made steady progress in India, with 24 of its buildings being certified waste recycling positive for over 12 years in the construction of luxury hotels at Kolkata at the highest LEED Platinum level. Moreover, now. Within its operations, waste is minimised and Ahmedabad. Construction of ITC Royal ITC’s premium luxury hotels have the unique through systematic monitoring and improve- Bengal in Kolkata is nearing completion and ment of efficiencies in material utilisation as will be commissioned shortly. New hotels are

PRIME MOVERS distinction of being LEED Platinum certified.

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For H&FS | Identity design consumers mind, leading to rampant decision the teams use waste and discarded items like SOLAR ROOFTOPS paralysis. System integrators have to bear the CROWNE PLAZA, newspapers, water bottles, batteries, electri- brunt of this since their sales lead cycles and cal waste, discarded wooden tiles, sanitary – TAPPING THE business development costs skyrocket. To GURUGRAM’S fittings and many other recyclable, reusable ease this, a single, centrally-controlled policy materials to build their Christmas Tree. VAST POTENTIAL will help the industry immensely. REVAMPED The team shares with GreenOtels their joy in TO MEET INDIA’S Insufficient land and roof areas are another CHRISTMAS TREE! innovating a Christmas tree every year and issue every consumer faces. Improvement in being showered with appreciation from the plant efficiencies over the last 10 years have guests; which indeed keeps them motivated 100 GW TARGET been significant in ensuring that the kWh gen- to turn on their creative cells and contribute erated per square foot keep improving. When to a healthy environment. This year, the team India installed almost 10% of its renewable we began with installing Thin Film Modules of has used discarded water bottles and wood- energy capacity target in November 2019 100 Wp each, they were state-of-the-art. We en tiles to create their Christmas Tree 2019. alone. Solar power has now reached grid have come a long way today with 400 Wp parity and is the cheapest source of distribut- becoming the new normal now. This is a 4x ed power across the world. While evacuation, jump on the land use efficiency in 10 years. policy, and installation quality are some of the common problems plaguing the Indian With commercially viable bi-facial technolo- solar push, the 100 GW target is not far. The gies around the corner, this number will jump Centre has been revising renewable targets to 500 Wp within 12-18 months. A higher Wp upwards every few years. Major research per square foot has the added advantage of agencies have also deeply underestimated reduced balance of system costs. the renewable capacity addition over the last Practicing the three Rs - Reduce, Reuse 10 years, and India has still not realised its Emerging technologies like storage have to and Recycle, team Crowne Plaza have been potential for renewable energy addition fully. be adopted early in India and manufacturing innovating Christmas Tree ideas year after for these must begin quickly. Battery storage year. At different properties of the hotel chain, Solar industry experts constantly encounter a needs another few books to be given justice. PRAISE disconnect between policy and technology. The next revolution in renewables will be in If that was not enough, the DISCOMs are not the storage segment, and by 2022 storage is receptive to change; barring a few states. slated to be the enabler for the next 100 GW Some changes, like the recent notification of renewables in India. ECOPLORE - AN AGGREGATOR PLATFORM on making the AC capacity of a solar power plant the primary capacity metric, are Distributed generation and storage will FOR ECO-HOTELS welcome ones. change the way people depend on the grid for their everyday power needs. Energy Most of us will agree to the fact that tour- ical destruction caused by mindless human India has one of the highest power independence will become the new norm. ists are turning heads to eco-friendly hotels. activities. transmission and distribution loss metrics in The next stage is research and development They are choosing hotels that are sustain- the world. Distributed generation solves these on system components so that India always able in their practices are take conscious Acting as an aggregator platform for eco-ho- issues with a common point of generation stays ahead of the curve and is not merely a charge of their actions. Now, in order to tels, the company promotes only those eco- and consumption. India also needs to move reactionary market. enable the smooth process in the selection of stays that have at least 33% green area and from a power producer to a raw material eco-friendly hotels, the industry has facilita- are made of non-concrete building materials producer. The manufacturing capacity of all India’s young population will adapt to and tors who are providing tourists with their ideal such as mud, stone, wood or any locally solar-power system components has not digest this new technology in no time. Recent options. Ecoplore is one such company… available material. Ecoplore unearths uncon- grown and India is a laggard in this matter. studies by international research agencies ventional hotels that meet their Green Criteria. Though improvements have occurred over have declared India to be the cheapest solar Ecoplore offers an assorted collection of the last 2-3 years, China’s prowess has market of the world. We hope this does not non-concrete hotels for eco-friendly holiday at remained unmatched in this regard. lead to India being perceived as the lowest exotic locations. It is the brainchild of Prerna quality market in the world. The transition Prasad, a prolific writer, journalist, activist, Uneven and constantly changing state from a “cool” technology to a prudent one environmentalist who was deeply affect- policies have created confusion in a market has been great but it’s time to take this from ed by the rising concern of climate change prudent to dependable over the next 5 years. PLAN OF ACTION which is already technologically unclear in a and global warming. Through this initiative, the company aims to restore the vitality of Mother Earth and increase the demand for

PLATFORM eco-tourism as a means to prevent ecolog-

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For H&FS | Identity design COUNTRIES AND THEIR COMMITMENTS

• Tree planting: Pakistan - 10 billion by 2024, • Sustainable management of ecosystems: New Zealand - 1 billion by 2028; Barbados Colombia - 900,000 hectares to agroforestry - 1 million by 2020; Sierra Leone - 2 million and sustainable forest management; Fiji - 100 by 2023; Nigeria to mobilize youth to plant percent sustainable management of econom- 25 million by 2020; Kenya - 2 billion by 2022, ic exclusive zone by 2030 and 10 - year mor- Ethiopia - 4 billion per year; Ireland - 440 atorium on seabed mining; Ecuador - guar- million; Turkey, in the past 17 years planted 4 antee rights of nature for future generations, billion and will plant 11 million additional ones. Seychelles - increase protection of exclusive economic zone from 26-30 percent by 2020; • Stabilization of forest cover: Costa Rica - Kenya - advance sustainable ocean-action 60 percent by 2030; Democratic Republic of policies at UN Ocean Conference the Congo - 63 percent by 2030; Indonesia - conservation of mangrove forests by 2030; • Food systems transformation: New Zealand Chile - comprehensive reforestation plan; - in the next five years every farmer will have Turkey - increase forestry wealth; Russia - systems to measure, manage and reduce conserve Boreal Forests; Democratic GHG emissions from food production and to Republic of Congo - increase protected areas become the most sustainable food in the Congo Basin forests. producer in the world; and to continue to lead international collaboration through the Global • Increase of forest stock: China - 4.56 billion Research Alliance on Agricultural Greenhouse cubic meters from 2005; Hungary - increase Gases; Nigeria - climate - smart agriculture reforestation by 30 percent by 2050; City of practices to capture 74 million tons of carbon Surabaya in Indonesia expand urban forests by 46 hectares; Turkey - “Gardens of the • Waste management: Turkey - climate nation” project to increase green areas, parks friendly technologies for waste management; and forests decrease the use of plastic bags; expand zero waste project to 4,000 buildings by • Reduction of deforestation: Colombia - 70 2023; increase recycling rate from 13 - 35 percent; and Ecuador - 24 percent. percent; City of Subraya in Indonesia - reduce emissions through reuse, reduce, recycle • Restoration of ecosystems: Guatemala - program; and Bolivia - increase recycling 1.5 million hectares of forested land by 2022; efforts of waste water and solid waste. Indonesia - 2 million hectares of peatlands; rehabilitate 12 million hectares of degraded • Banning of single-use plastics: Guatemala; lands and mangroves by 2030; Colombia - Ireland; India, Bolivia; and City of Surabaya in 300,000 hectares of forest by 2022; Nigeria Indonesia; United Nations Secretariat. - ecological restoration and recharge of Lake Chad; and Kenya - 5.1 million hectares of • Water Conservation: India to invest $50 billion on water conservation.

PLANET POST forests by 2022 under the AFR100 initiative.

Editor: Minakshi Agarwal. Editorial Contribution: Pooja Akula Published by Root Cause Mediaa, Bungalow 36, Block W, Opp LS Raheja College, Relief Road Santa Cruz (West), Mumbai 400 0054 E: [email protected] P: 022 60660151 W: www.greenotels.com Disclaimer : Although we have taken every care to make the information in this publication as accurate as possible, we accept no responsibility for any inaccuracies or changes since going to press. All information here is gathered from primary, secondary and tertiary sources. All rights reserved All rights of this publication are with GreenOtels and Root Cause Mediaa. This publication may not be copied, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form, electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording or otherwise, without the prior consent of the publishers. this publication is for private circulation only and not for sale purposes. Knowledge Partners Global Media Partners

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