Barons Eden Group appoints FuturePlus for sustainability plans

Barons Eden Group has appointed the sustainability management and ESG reporting platform, FuturePlus, to help it track, measure and improve the sustainability performance of its portfolio of UK hotels and spas. The group, which operates Hoar Cross Hall in Staffordshire and Eden Hall in Nottingham, took the opportunity to renew its focus on the environment following the pandemic. However, with two Grade II-listed estates, the group has found it challenging to improve sustainability over the years. This has led Barons Eden to seek support from experts to “take its efforts to the next level”. Having considered signing up with other sustainability programmes, including B Corp, it selected FuturePlus for its sustainability efforts that are benchmarked against industry best practices, as well as the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals. As a result of the new measures, Barons Eden expects to drive various sustainability-focused outcomes, including a 60% reduction in carbon emissions thanks to the installation of a new £1.5m biomass plant at Hoar Cross Hall. In addition, a 15-20% reduction in electricity usage is expected with the installation of voltage optimisation and advanced metering, as well as a 10% reduction in water usage with the installation of real time metering for both locations. Steve Clements, director and ESG lead of Barons Eden Group, added: “As an organisation, we are extremely proud of the sustainability initiatives and programmes we have implemented over the years, but as a board, we recognised that becoming more sustainable was the right thing to do, both for our business and for our customers. “Before we started working with FuturePlus, we considered other routes, but FuturePlus stood out for its commitment to regular, incremental improvement. We are excited for our future projects, which reaffirm our commitment to sustainability in line with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.”