According to UNWTO, the toolkit has now been tested on more than 100 European properties, with positive feedback from hotel owners and managers.
The current project is supported by the European Agency for Competitiveness and Innovation under the Intelligent Energy Europe program and is expected to be rolled out globally over the coming years.
30 August 2011: The UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has finalized the testing of its Hotel Energy Solutions e-toolkit. The toolkit provides hoteliers with a current energy-use report and recommends renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies.
The toolkit provides information on potential savings on operational expenses through a calculator measuring returns on investment. According to UNWTO, the toolkit has been tested on more than 100 European properties with positive feedback from hotel owners and managers. The current project is supported by the European Agency for Competitiveness and Innovation under the Intelligent Energy Europe program, and is expected to be rolled out globally over the coming years.
According to UNWTO, although hotels and other accommodation types account for only 2% of carbon dioxide emissions, addressing these emissions is a priority for the tourism sector. The project has been implemented in partnership with the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), the International Hotel & Restaurant Association, the European Renewable Energy Council, and the French Environment and Energy Management Agency. [UN Press Release]