From phasing out single-use plastic, reduction in carbon footprint, water conservation and utilization of renewable sources of energy to extensive community engagement, IHCL continues to drive responsible tourism at every step

Indian Hotels Company (IHCL), continues to reinforce its commitment towards adopting and strengthening its sustainable business practices. From phasing out single-use plastic, reduction in carbon footprint, water conservation, and utilization of renewable sources of energy to extensive community engagement, IHCL will continue to drive responsible tourism at every step.
The company has generated significant savings since 2008 by:

• Reducing water consumption by approximately 3,000,000 kilolitres

• Reducing greenhouse emissions including approximately 232,000,000 kilograms of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e)

• Saving approximately 1,202,000,000 megajoules of energy

• Reducing waste sent to landfill by 17,000 cubic meters

• SeleQtions partners with BLive – India’s first EV vehicle tourism platform

• IHCL’s brand SeleQtions is a collection of named and distinctive properties. The vision for the brand is to celebrate individuality, by offering unique experiences through landmark hotels that have their own legacy and charm. In line with this vision and commitment to sustainable tourism, SeleQtions has tied up with BLive, India’s First Electric Vehicle Tourism platform to provide premium green Ebike tours at all SeleQtions hotels. Guests can explore each destination with specially curated tours that give an immersive experience of the local culture while reducing carbon emissions.

IHCL partners with Tata Power
IHCL joins hands with Tata Power for the supply of solar energy for its hotels in Mumbai as a part of a strategy to focus on sustainable and cost-efficient business practices while leveraging group-wide synergies and competencies. Currently, 27 hotels are powered by renewable energy as part of this initiative with Tata Power thereby providing energy from Green Source. IHCL hotels in Mumbai, namely The Taj Mahal Palace, Taj Lands End and Taj Wellington Mews are expected to get approximately 60% energy from green sources and reduce nearly 22.9 million kg of carbon dioxide emissions on an annual basis.

A milestone achievement of 47 of IHCL hotels achieving EarthCheck Platinum Certification, representing 11 continuous years of social and environmental impact by ensuring sustainable tourism management practices. With this, a total of 78 EarthCheck certified IHCL hotels have generated significant savings since 2008.

Phasing out single-use plastics and introducing bottling plants
IHCL has strengthened its endeavor of phasing out single-use plastics from across its hotels, in addition to introducing bottling plants that will replace all plastic water bottles with reusable glass bottles at 15 hotels across the globe, resulting in eliminating 0.2 million kilograms of plastic. Taj Exotica Resort & Spa, Andamans, located at Radhanagar beach - voted as one of the world-class beaches in Asia - has set up an onsite bottling plant eliminating the use of plastic bottles, a waste disposal system that converts wet waste to gas and compost and a sanitation treatment plant to limit its carbon footprint.

Plastic carry bags have been replaced with paper carry bags, while plastic garbage bags and plastic wet umbrella bags have been replaced with oxo-biodegradable bags. All the plastic waste generated by the hotels is sent for recycling through Pollution Control Board-authorised scrap traders. The Taj Exotica Resort & Spa in the Andaman Islands, IHCL's first ‘Zero Single-Use Plastic Hotel’.

Green Tourism
IHCL has been promoting green tourism with Taj Safaris by offering immersive experiences to travelers while enabling livelihoods for neighboring communities with historic ties to forests and bringing in tourism to remote locations, thus enriching tribes/communities who reside there, while creating alternative livelihoods to hunting.

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