Deutsche Hospitality is putting sustainability at the center of its global corporate approach.

The group has reviewed its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Strategy to emphasise that a strong commitment to the environment and to society will form the heart of all business activities.

Marcus Bernhardt, CEO of Deutsche Hospitality, announced:

We need to make decisions which are not detrimental to the environment or to future generations. This should be self-evident to us. Hoteliers are an active part of a society looking to create enduring and sustainable values. For us, Corporate Social Responsibility means taking our responsibility towards the environment, staff, customers, and stakeholders such as suppliers and partners very seriously and establishing binding standards. Deutsche Hospitality is committed to fulfilling its ecological and social obligations. Our hotels reflect a global world which we are seeking to help shape in a sustainable, open and transparent way.

Marcus Bernhardt continued:

Sustainable change requires cooperation. We listen carefully in order to understand the challenges which are being faced by our colleagues, investors and guests and by the regions in which our hotels are located. The issues at stake include youth employment, human rights, carbon emissions and the use of water. We can only overcome these challenges by working together.

 

Lars Wahnschaffe, Senior Manager CSR, is in charge of the development, introduction, and implementation of the CSR Strategy. Mr. Wahnschaffe has spent a lot of time drafting a Mission Statement which will stand globally.

Deutsche Hospitality’s CSR Strategy encloses five main action areas. Each of these important actions is backed up with specific objectives. The goals for 2021 include establishing the first carbon-neutral hotel and instigating a complete ban on hard soap and foie gras.

In Europe, the proportion of menu options which are vegetarian or vegan will rise to 30 percent this year.  Endangered fish species will no longer be served, and sustainably certified and Fairtrade coffee will be introduced throughout Europe. Takeaway coffee cups will be abolished in all hotels in Europe. Training programmes on sustainability and human rights will be implemented globally.

The action areas are the following : 

Green Buildings by using natural resources carefully in order to reduce the CO₂ footprint. Deutsche Hospitality uses certifications to secure high sustainability standards for buildings and processes worldwide. The long-term aim is to achieve climate neutrality with the assistance of environmentally friendly construction standards which exert an impact on the planning, development, operations, and maintenance of our properties.

Green Services by offering services which are increasingly sustainable in order to improve the offer at a local level and to achieve a more effective impact on the climate and on society. Targeted measures aimed at producing greater sustainability are being introduced in the area of food and beverages.

Fair Partnerships by setting out a clear direction of travel and taking the suppliers along with Deutsche Hospitality on the sustainability journey. One vehicle in this regard is a procurement system which attaches more and more importance to regional, fair trade and certified products. More sustainable supply chains and respect for human rights are further possible routes.

One Team by operating a culture of togetherness in which everyone from senior management staff to trainees contributes to success in their own way. As an employer, Deutsche Hospitality places a firm emphasis on individual personal development, equality of opportunity, health, and mobility in order to pursue the development of a corporate culture.

New Chance by operating locations right across the world. Deutsche Hospitality  will use the societal influence which will help to shape social life at a local level by establishing long-term partnerships and networks and enhancing the effectiveness of its activities by involving our employees in our social commitment.