Emissions Compensation Program

What Is Emissions Compensation?

Compensation involves investing in carbon credits in the voluntary market, each representing one ton of emissions reduced, avoided or removed by a project (e.g. renewable energy).

While reducing emissions is the first and most important step for all businesses, in order to ensure a safe and healthy future of our planet, we need to do more. That's why the SBTi (Science Based Targets initiative) deems funding carbon credits as an essential step in the journey towards global net-zero. One of the SBTi’s core requirements for a business to work towards net-zero is to achieve a minimum 90% reduction in emissions and compensate the remaining 10%.

Travelers and corporate clients increasingly expect businesses to take responsibility for their environmental impact. Compensation of unavoidable emissions is a key element of demonstrating further climate action on the journey to net-zero.

Compensation Program for Green Stay Hotels

The HRS Emissions Compensation Program is available to those hotels that demonstrate energy efficiency and measures to reduce emissions as much as possible, according to their performance in the HRS Green Stay Initiative.

To qualify, a hotel must:

1) be part of the Green Stay Initiative at the Advanced or Professional level
2) have achieved a Green Stay Index of A or B

Benefits for participating hotel partners include:

• Enhance Your Brand: Participating hotels will receive a special label in procurement and booking channels, signaling to corporate customers your active involvement in eco-friendly initiatives, which could attract environmentally-conscious clientele.
• Competitive Edge: Your hotel is among a selected group that qualifies for this program. In a landscape where sustainability matters more than ever, your hotel’s commitment to mitigating emissions can set you apart and potentially lead to increased RFP acceptance and bookings.
• Transparent Reporting: HRS ensure that partners have visibility into their contributions and the positive environmental impact they make.

High-Quality Climate Protection Projects

HRS is forming partnerships with experts on the Voluntary Carbon Market (VCM) to ensure the projects meet high-quality criteria, such as verification, third-party validation and measurable social benefits.

Upon payment, HRS will share emissions compensation certificates with the hotel partners. These certificates serve as a record of the hotel’s contribution to verified carbon compensation projects, which can be used for sustainability reporting purposes.

>> Learn more about the HRS Emissions Compensation Program