A hotel carbon footprint shows where emissions come from and where to cut them
A hotel carbon footprint, or greenhouse gas (GHG) inventory, quantifies a hotel’s emissions under the GHG Protocol: Scope 1 from fuels and refrigerants, Scope 2 from purchased electricity and heat, and Scope 3 from the value chain.
In hospitality, emissions sit in places generic calculators miss: kitchens and laundries, pools and spas, refrigeration, food purchasing, outsourced services and leased outlets. HOLITRA calculates the footprint property by property, so it serves your ESG report, answers corporate clients and lenders, and becomes the baseline for every reduction target, as part of ESG, Reporting & Assurance and the Reporting pillar of the HOLITRA Hospitality Sustainability System.
WHO THIS IS FOR
Who we support with carbon footprints
Hotels & Hotel Groups
A first Scope 1 and 2 baseline or a full Scope 1–3 inventory, per property and consolidated for the group.
Owners, Investors & Operators
Emissions data across ownership, operation and buildings, for asset decisions, lender requests and investor reporting.
Associations & Industry Bodies
Carbon accounting guidance and programmes for member hotels, built on the same hospitality expertise.
WHAT WE SOLVE
What HOLITRA does in carbon footprint & GHG accounting
We calculate the inventory and document every choice behind it: boundary, data, emission factors and estimates.
01
Boundary & control approach
Which properties, leased areas, franchised and managed hotels are included, and on which consolidation approach.
02
Scope 1: fuels & refrigerants
Fuels for heating, kitchens, vehicles and generators, and refrigerant leakage from cooling and kitchen equipment.
03
Scope 2: purchased energy
Electricity, district heating and cooling, reported location-based and market-based, including green electricity contracts.
04
Scope 3 screening
The value-chain categories that matter for a hotel: food and beverage, laundry, outsourced services, capital goods, waste, commuting.
05
Emission factors & data quality
Documented sources and factors, estimates flagged, and supplier-specific data where it changes the result. Assurance readiness →
06
Intensity & comparability
Emissions per occupied room, per guest night or per m², comparable across properties and years.
WHAT YOU RECEIVE
What you receive from a carbon footprint engagement
The depth depends on whether you need Scope 1 and 2 only or a full Scope 3 inventory. We agree the deliverables in writing before work starts.
01
Boundary & methodology note
Consolidation approach, properties included, base year and the methodology applied under the GHG Protocol.
02
GHG inventory
Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions per property and for the group, in tonnes of CO₂e.
03
Scope 3 screening
Which categories are relevant, which are included, and why others are excluded.
04
Emission factor & data register
Every data source, emission factor, assumption and estimate, so the inventory can be checked and recalculated.
05
Intensity figures & base year
Per-room, per-guest-night and per-m² figures, and a base year with rules for recalculation.
06
Hotspots & next steps
The largest sources and where reduction should start, linked to strategy and targets and to ESG reporting.
CARBON SCOPE
Which carbon footprint scope fits your hotel?
Not every hotel needs a full Scope 3 inventory at once. We help you choose the scope that fits who is asking.
Scope 1 & 2 baseline
For hotels starting out or answering a first request: fuels, refrigerants and purchased energy, by property.
Full inventory incl. Scope 3
For hotels and groups reporting under the EU Voluntary Standard, GRI or ESRS: the relevant value-chain categories included.
Per-stay & per-event figures
For corporate clients and event organisers: carbon per occupied room or per meeting, from the same inventory.
Baseline for reduction targets
For hotels setting targets: a base year and recalculation rules, the starting point for decarbonisation.
WHY HOLITRA
Why HOLITRA for carbon footprints in hospitality
HOLITRA combines hospitality-specific sustainability expertise with the qualified specialists required by the scope of the project.
Built specifically for hospitality
We know where a hotel’s emissions sit — kitchens, laundry, pools and spas, refrigeration, food purchasing — and how leases and management contracts split them.
The right expertise for the assignment
We bring the qualified expertise the inventory requires, from building energy and technical systems to supply-chain data.
Audit-minded evidence
Every emission factor, assumption and estimate documented, so the inventory can be checked, repeated and recalculated.
One connected system across disciplines
The same inventory feeds your ESG report, certification audits, reduction targets and green claims: calculated once, used consistently.
HOW WE WORK
How we calculate a carbon footprint for a hotel or hotel group
A first inventory depends mainly on how quickly energy, refrigerant and purchasing data can be collected.
01
Purpose & boundary
What the footprint is for, which properties are included and which consolidation approach applies.
02
Data collection
Energy invoices and meter data, refrigerant logs, fuel records and purchasing data, per property.
03
Scope 3 screening
The relevant value-chain categories identified, with the data and estimates each needs.
04
Calculation
Emissions calculated with documented emission factors, location-based and market-based for Scope 2.
05
Review & documentation
Plausibility checks, assumptions documented and results reviewed with you.
06
Hotspots & next cycle
The largest sources, what to improve in the data, and an annual update as ongoing sustainability management if you want support year on year.
Go deeper
Practical insights into reporting boundaries, building performance and sustainability investment decisions in hospitality.
Hotel ESG Reporting Boundary
Hotel Building Performance and Sustainability
Hotel Sustainability Investment Priorities
FAQs
Carbon Footprint for Hotels
What is a hotel carbon footprint?
A greenhouse gas inventory of a hotel or hotel group, calculated under the GHG Protocol. It covers Scope 1 (fuels and refrigerants), Scope 2 (purchased electricity and heat) and Scope 3 (the value chain), per property and for the group, in tonnes of CO₂e.
What are Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions for a hotel?
Scope 1 are direct emissions: gas or oil for heating and kitchens, vehicle fuel and refrigerant leakage. Scope 2 come from purchased electricity, district heating and cooling. Scope 3 cover the value chain: food and other purchased goods, laundry and other outsourced services, capital goods, waste and employee commuting.
Do we need to include Scope 3?
Under the ESRS, companies report Scope 3 emissions from each significant category. Outside CSRD scope it is voluntary, but corporate clients, lenders and certification schemes increasingly ask for it, and purchased goods, especially food, are often a hotel’s largest source.
What is the difference between location-based and market-based Scope 2?
Location-based uses the average emission factor of the grid where the hotel is located. Market-based reflects the electricity you actually contract, for example green electricity with guarantees of origin. The GHG Protocol asks for both.
How often should a hotel carbon footprint be recalculated?
Every year, so progress can be tracked. The base year is recalculated when the business changes significantly, for example after an acquisition, a sale or a change in methodology.
Is a carbon footprint the same as a decarbonisation roadmap?
No. The footprint measures where emissions come from; a decarbonisation roadmap sets targets and the measures to reach them. The footprint is the baseline the roadmap starts from. Sustainability strategy.
Know where your emissions come from
Tell us which properties, which data you have and who is asking. We tell you which scope you need, what data to collect and where to start.