WASHINGTON—The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) and the Sustainable Hospitality Alliance have announced a new partnership between the two organizations to drive ESG efforts within the hotel and hospitality industry. As part of the partnership, AHLA, AHLA Foundation, and the Alliance will amplify and collaborate to support one another’s programs and solutions, including the AHLA Foundation’s workforce development programs, the No Room for Trafficking campaign, and the Alliance’s social and environmental sustainability tools and resources.
The announcement of the partnership follows a two-day summit hosted by the Alliance that brought together hospitality leaders and partners to discuss current sustainability efforts and challenges, discover insights from speakers on collaboration and leadership, and develop a long-term sustainability strategy for the future that enables the industry to contribute towards achieving net positive hospitality.
“AHLA and the AHLA Foundation are proud to enter this partnership with the Sustainable Hospitality Alliance, as many of our member brands are already on the leading edge of ESG efforts in the hospitality sector,” said Chip Rogers, president and CEO of AHLA. “America’s hotels recognize the industry-transforming potential of a sustainability strategy that addresses the environmental impacts of waste, water, energy, and sourcing across operations and want to ensure we are reducing our environmental footprint without compromising the needs of our guests. This partnership will also strengthen our career development and human trafficking work, further extending our impact on the communities we serve.”
“We are delighted to be partnering with AHLA to promote social and environmental sustainability across the industry,” said Glenn Mandziuk, CEO of the Sustainable Hospitality Alliance. “This co-operation will enable us to reach a large portion of the U.S. industry, including small and medium-sized hotels, and give both our organizations the platform to create, test, and roll out innovative solutions to enable the industry to have a regenerative impact and give back to their local communities, environments, and places.”
Alliance members make up 35 percent of the global hotel industry by rooms and include 21 hotel companies and partners, many of which are also AHLA members. AHLA is the largest hotel association in the United States, representing all segments of the industry including 30,000+ members and the 10 largest hotel companies nationwide. In addition to reductions in water usage and energy across the sector, U.S. hotels have made commitments to reduce waste and source responsibly through programs and partnerships with organizations like the Sustainable Hospitality Alliance.
