Travelodge launches new Better Future sustainability plan
26 July 2022
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Jo Boydell
Oxfordshire-based Travelodge, one of the UK’s largest hotel chains, has launched its new sustainability plan - Better Future.
The plan plays a critical part in shaping the future of Travelodge and has been fully integrated with the group’s business strategy and purpose - to provide affordable travel for everyone.
It outlines the group’s sustainability agenda with stretching KPI’s that will help create a sustainable business with long term profitable growth and the goal to define the route to becoming a net-zero hotel operator and how this can be aligned to Science Based Targets (SBTI).
The vision to create a Better Future for Travelodge customers, colleagues and the planet is underpinned by three core pillars: Inclusive, Caring and Conscious:
Inclusive:
- Ensuring Travelodge is accessible, inclusive and affordable to its colleagues and customers.
- Diversity & inclusion: Everyone should feel welcome and part of the Travelodge team
- Social mobility: Allow colleagues to learn more, earn more and belong
Caring:
- Creating a safe and healthy environment for colleagues and customers, and ensuring their wellbeing.
- Wellbeing: Improve the physical, emotional, financial and work wellbeing of colleagues
- Charity: Support charity partners which are currently: Pennies and the British Heart Foundation
Conscious:
- Being actively conscious of the waste we produce, the energy and resources we consume and our carbon emissions.
- Net zero: Reduce its energy consumption through energy efficiency projects. Migrate its residual supply to green sources and / or find other ways to offset any remainder
- New builds and refurbishment programme: Build new hotels and refurbish existing hotels with sustainability as a key consideration
To help create its Better Future plan, Travelodge appointed Simply Sustainable, an award-winning global management consulting specialist in ESG and sustainable business.
During the last 12 months, the group also consulted a wide range of stakeholders, which included landlords, investors, local authorities, developers, key suppliers and charity partners. Travelodge also surveyed over 40,000 of its business and leisure customers and their team of over 10,000 colleagues. This vital feedback helped the group to ensure that every aspect of their plan is rooted in the most important sustainability priorities of its stakeholders.
To support the implementation of the Travelodge Better Future plan, the group has put into place a governance model with a steering committee to ensure effective monitoring and implementation of the plan. In addition, the group will also provide an annual Sustainability Report.
Jo Boydell, Travelodge, Chief Executive (pictured) said: “As one of the UK’s largest hotel brands with 600 hotels across Ireland, Spain and the UK including 7 properties in Bristol, we have always been committed to doing business responsibly. However, we know that there is more we need to do and we believe that sustainability has a critically important role to play in shaping the future of Travelodge. Today, we are proud to launch our new sustainability plan to create a ‘Better Future’ for our customers, colleagues and the planet.
“We are proud of the work that has gone into creating our Better Future plan. The plan has been designed to mark a step-change in our sustainability agenda and is fully integrated with our wider business strategy and our purpose - to provide affordable travel for everyone. Our KPIs and performance targets have been identified for their capacity to stretch and challenge us. We have a long road ahead of us to complete our route to becoming a net-zero hotel operator and continue our journey to make sustainable, affordable travel for everyone a reality.”
Nicola Stops, Simply Sustainable, Chief Executive said: “We are delighted to help accelerate Travelodge’s journey to become a more sustainable business.
"The group has always been committed to doing business responsibly and has launched a number of sustainable initiatives over the years, but now the ‘Better Future’ plan officially formalises the company’s approach with clear targets, KPIs and updates. Furthermore, the group’s clear vision of being inclusive, caring and conscious gives its stakeholder’s confidence they’re dealing with a business that takes care of its people, the communities it operates in and the planet and is constantly striving to become more sustainable.”
