Highgate, a global real estate investment and hotel management company, is upgrading to 100% renewable electricity, beginning with a majority of its select-service properties, as well as seventeen full-service hotels. The initiative will be certified by Green-e Energy, an independent certification and verification program for renewable energy.
“We’re determined to be part of the solution to address climate change,” said Marianne Balfe, VP, sustainability, Highgate. “According to the Sustainable Hospitality Alliance, the hotel industry needs to reduce its carbon emissions per room by 90% by 2050 in order to keep the industry within U.N. goals for reduced emissions. This is a humbling statistic that highlights the importance of investments in renewable energy as a business imperative moving forward. The utilization of renewable energy is a simple and important step that the entire industry can and should be taking to reduce our collective impact. We are proud to be paving the way with aggressive and momentous sustainability efforts.”
For this renewable energy initiative, all of the participating properties, which initially includes all of the Highgate-owned properties in the Highgate Select portfolio, have committed to third-party verification through Green-e for 2022. The renewable energy purchase commitment will cover the entire building consumption for these Highgate hotels, allowing meetings and conferences that take place within them to be Green-e certified.
The following full-service properties will be powered by 100% renewable electricity starting on Jan. 1, 2022:
‘Alohilani Resort Waikiki
Hotel Figueroa, Los Angeles
Hyatt Regency Bethesda
NoMo SoHo, New York
Park Central New York
Park Central San Francisco (to be rebranded as Hyatt Regency San Francisco in 2022)
Park Lane Hotel New York
Renaissance Las Vegas
The James New York—NoMad
The Knickerbocker Hotel, Times Square
The Newbury Boston
The Scottsdale Plaza Resort
The Westin Arlington Gateway
The Westin Las Vegas Hotel & Spa
The Westin Long Beach
The Westin New Orleans Canal Place
WestHouse Hotel New York
Highgate is a member of the Renewable Energy Buyers Alliance (REBA) and is the first hospitality company to become a signatory to REBA’s Commercial Real Estate Principles, a foundational tool supporting the decarbonization of commercial buildings through energy optimization and renewable energy procurement. Highgate has also entered into a partnership with ENGIE Impact to implement solutions for sustainability reporting, achieving decarbonization and overall environmental footprint reduction.
Highgate also announced the movement towards the elimination of single-use plastics. The initiative will include new partnerships with industry-innovating carbon-negative companies, phasing out single-use plastics in Highgate legacy hotel guestrooms, F&B outlets, meeting spaces and public spaces, along with sourcing renewable and compostable substitutes to common hotel supplies and amenities. Efforts will also include offering guests bulk shower amenities, filtered water refill stations, refillable water bottles and digital key entry.
Highgate will announce additional initiatives and partners in early 2022 that will complete the commitment of being truly a sustainable company.
