Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (Dubai Tourism) has announced it will provide Dubai hotels with an individual Hotel Emission Analysis Report, offering an overview of each establishment’s emission performance in comparison to its peers using results from the Carbon Calculator software.

Providing hotels with recommendations for improvement by referring them to the ‘12 Steps Towards Sustainability’ manual, which was launched by Dubai Tourism last year, the Hotel Emission Analysis report has been launched in line with the UAE’s 2021 National Agenda to promote sustainable growth, reinforcing Dubai’s position as the smartest city in the world and role model in energy efficiency.

In 2017, Dubai Sustainable Tourism (DST), an initiative under Dubai Tourism, launched the Carbon Calculator software, a tool developed to measure the carbon footprint of Dubai’s hospitality sector. The emirate’s hotel establishments were mandated to record and submit their emission sources, across electricity, district cooling, water and waste, allowing the findings to be collated for valuable industry insight.

Since 2016, DST has implemented several greenhouse gas reduction programmes as well as several initiatives to support the sector in its energy efficiency performance. These include the interactive web-based ‘12 Steps Towards Sustainability’ guidelines, a manual providing practical and cost-effective tools to help hospitality establishments implement best practices, and the ‘Sustainability Board Game’ which supports partners in driving sustainable tourism practices across their properties, to help further efficiently manage their resources, in turn reducing the collective carbon footprint of Dubai’s tourism industry.

In addition to identifying an industry benchmark across all hotel classifications, The Hotel Emission Analysis Report will provide an overview of each hotel’s emission performance aimed at further encouraging the implementation of sustainable practices across their operations.

Yousuf Lootah, executive director – Tourism Development & Investments, Dubai Tourism, commented: “In line with the vision of His Highness, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President and Prime Minister, and Ruler of Dubai, to transform the emirate into one of the world’s leading sustainable tourism destinations, the Hotel Emission Analysis Report has been developed as a targeted manual to guide hotels on the sustainability performance of their properties. Furthermore, it will provide a cohesive understanding of where they stand comparatively amongst their industry peers on an annual basis, identifying where improvements can be made to facilitate further resource management, in turn reducing the industry’s collective carbon footprint."

"As the emirate continues to focus on strengthening the sustainability of the tourism sector with the goal of cementing the city’s position as a leading sustainable destination globally, it is important that the industry remains diligent in the implementation of such measures to preserve the environment for future generations,” he said.

As Dubai further strengthens its tourism linked economy through the variety of unique visitor experiences available for global travellers, Dubai Tourism will continue to build on and support the sustainability of the sector by contributing to the broader clean energy and development targets set out in collaboration with the following partners - Emirates Environmental Group (EEG), Emirates Wildlife Society WWF (EWSWWF) and Emirates Green Building Council (EGBC), as well as the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy, DEWA and Dubai Municipality. - TradeArabia News Service