Green Hotel Case Study

1. Introduction

Going green is an “It” topic now throughout the world. Singapore Prime Minister Mr. Lee Hsien Loong has mentioned about building a sustainable nation more than once in his public speeches. In his recent speech at the launch of Clean & Green Singapore 2015 on 8 November, he said that Singapore should continue its Clean and Green culture in order to cope with future challenges (Lee, 2015). The publishing of Sustainable Singapore Blueprint 2015 also pointed out that Singapore has made good progress in its sustainability journey and will continue to achieve its 2020 target as well as its 2030 target (2014). This going green mission includes all aspects in our lives such as transportation, housing, living. Some key points are water saving, energy saving and waste management.

According to a Singapore Economic Impact report, the total contribution of Travel and Tourism to Singapore GDP has been steadily increasing in the past few years, reaching SGD39.7bn (10.9% of GDP) last year (2015). The hotel industry plays a significant role in Singapore’s travel and tourism business, so it has an impact on Singapore economy too. In answer to Sustainability Singapore Blueprint 2015 and to achieve business sustainability nationwide, managing hotel businesses wisely with green practices has become more and more important.

Definitions and Certification of Green Hotels

There is no universal standard for green hotels, neither is an offical definition of a green hotel. The Green Hotel Association defines green hotels as environmentally-friendly properties whose managers are eager to institute programs that save water, save energy and reduce solid waste while saving money—to help protect our one and only Earth (Green Hotel Association, 1995). It is indeed true that energy, water and waste are the top three issues when it comes to the environmental sustainability of hotels. Almost all green features and practices relate to energy efficiency, water saving and waste