Cooperation between hotel and environmental foundation aims to offset carbon from guests’ travels

Yearly, global travellers are responsible for about 720 Mt of CO2 emissions, accounting for over 2% of global energy-related emissions and growing faster in recent decades than road, rail and shipping. Air travel is expected to surpass the pre-covid 2019 level in the coming few years. Multiple additional measures will be needed to get emissions below 900 MT Co by 2030 in line with the net zero scenario milestones. While large regulatory changes are needed as well as implementation of investments in sustainable fuels and other alternatives like battery electric and hydrogen-powered aircrafts, individual contributions to global CO2 emissions reduction is also required. The impact of one tonne of carbon emissions somewhere can be neutralised through one tonne of carbon reduced or sequestered elsewhere. As such, purchasing carbon credits (1 carbon credit = 1 tonne of CO2) can finance projects that will improve energy access, household waste recovery and reforestation. In a small way, Hôtel Martinez aims to encourage this among their guests through the voluntary offset carbon scheme, provided through the cooperation with Global Planet (goodplanet.org). The voluntary carbon offsetting scheme is promoted to guests through a QR code provided in the guest rooms, allowing them to go directly to the Good Planet website. On the website, the guests can calculate their greenhouse gas emissions from a specific trip or their annual consumption and travel. Based on the calculation, guests are invited to make a donation. Donations are also eligible for a 66% tax reduction on the amount of the donation.