Committing to sustainability in today’s challenging landscape

There’s no doubt we all know how important addressing sustainability is; it is something that cannot be ignored by businesses that want to do the right thing. We’re seeing businesses of all scales recognising this and the hotel industry is no different.

However, the past couple of years have been challenging in ways we could never have predicted, and understandably, this can make the everyday running of a business the main focus, with the aim to implement sustainable practices falling to the wayside.

At Nespresso, we wanted to understand current attitudes towards sustainability across the UK hospitality sector. We conducted research with 1,000 hospitality leaders, including those working within the hotel sector and the results have been encouraging and reflect the determination across the industry to not only face challenges head on, but implement strategies and practices that address the topic. 

Overall, a significant number (83%) of senior leaders in the hotel sector believe that sustainability has become more of a priority in their business during the last year. The research also highlighted that 95% of those asked said they had made sustainability improvements to their business following the COP26 conference held in the UK last year. 

This shows the importance of putting sustainability high on the agenda at a global level; it clearly makes a difference and encourages positive change. Hopefully we’ll see a continuing impact as we look forward to COP27 this November. 

Looking ahead to the next year, our research revealed that eight in 10 (82%) of respondents from the sector state that sustainability will become more of a priority. Despite facing challenges like staffing, supply chain issues and the ongoing recovery from the pandemic, it’s really encouraging to see the continual uptake and engagement with sustainability initiatives across the hospitality industry. While it’s clear that businesses are facing considerable challenges, leaders within the sector are determined to do the right thing.

Across all of the hospitality sector, improving turnover, training and upskilling current staff and managing supply chain issues came out as overall business concerns, with a fifth (20%) of senior leaders stating that sourcing sustainable and ethical products and ingredients was also a top concern. These must be taken into consideration as businesses move forward. 

However, there is a green future on the horizon and we all have a part to play. As a newly certified B Corp business, which marks 30 years of Nespresso working to make coffee a force for good, it is positive to see the ambition from the number of hotel businesses aiming for B Corp certification in the future. 

Overall, 58% of hospitality leaders surveyed aim to become B Corp certified in the future, with hotels leading the way; seven in 10 of those asked want to begin the process in the future.  

In line with the B Corp community values, we’re dedicated to helping others across the industry to achieve their sustainability ambitions. We are always looking for opportunities to share our experience of the B Corp process, and show how our coffee products can support a sustainable offering.

However, despite the current challenges, it’s clear from the research that there’s resolve and ambition across the hotel industry to do better and make a positive impact for a better future.