Comwell Hotels Joins the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi)

Danish-owned hotel chain Comwell Hotels works in a targeted and integrated way with sustainability as a central part of the chain's business strategy. As the first hotel chain in Denmark, Comwell Hotels has now taken a significant step towards reducing the hotels' overall climate impact by joining the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). An important part of Comwell's plan is to reduce its climate footprint and achieve carbon neutrality in its operations by 2030 and in the entire value chain by 2040.

Comwell's CO2 emissions come from the daily operations related to the production of the chain's services. The goal is to reduce CO2 emissions through responsible operations in close collaboration with suppliers, employees, and guests. By joining Comwell's Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), the hotel chain further strengthens its efforts towards net zero. 

SBTi is one of the highest standards for companies that want to set ambitious and binding targets for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. 

"Joining SBTi is an important step for us. As a large hotel chain in Denmark, we have a similar responsibility to take the best possible care of the world we live in. We work with ambitious goals on the climate front, and by joining SBTi, we commit to achieving several defined targets in a relatively short timeframe," says Peter Schelde, CEO of Comwell Hotels, who elaborates: "SBTi offers a clearly defined pathway to reduce our CO2 emissions in line with the Paris Agreement's goal of limiting global warming."

Comwell published the chain's first independent ESG report in the spring of 2023, which clarifies the chain's goals on the road to climate neutrality in its operations (scope 1 and 2) by 2030. This requires a dedicated effort from everyone in the group, and several initiatives are already underway. 

"At the moment, we have a special focus on our operations, and our employees are a huge part of that. Without them, we wouldn't have come as far as we have. Specifically, we are reducing our energy and water consumption - for example, by replacing electricity sources and investing in water-saving measures. We also focus on maximum recycling of waste and less food waste, and we are increasingly adding more plant-rich dishes to the menus and buffets in the hotels' restaurants," says Mai-Britt Jensen, HR and Sustainability Director at Comwell Hotels.   

Once the first major milestone of carbon neutrality in its own operations has been achieved, the Danish-owned hotel chain will focus its efforts on the rest of the value chain (scope 3), which includes close collaboration with suppliers and partners.

"Once we have achieved carbon neutrality in our operations, we look at everything that is beyond our control. For example, we have set several goals for which raw materials we buy, where they come from, and what expectations and wishes we have for our suppliers and our collaboration. By 2025, for example, our goal is for the majority of our suppliers to have committed to Comwell's 'Code of Conduct', which sets the framework for how we move forward together," says Mai-Britt Jensen, who concludes: "In line with SBTi, our strategy in this area is to eliminate as much CO2 emissions in our operations as possible first. This is the most honest way to work with CO2 reduction."