TFE Hotels is celebrating a milestone in its journey to net zero emissions by 2050, with Quincy Melbourne becoming the first hotel in Victoria to achieve NABERS’ Climate Active Carbon Neutral Building certification.

Through the certification, Quincy will offset nearly 1671 tonnes of carbon per annum – the equivalent carbon footprint of 167 average Australian households.

TFE Hotels has invested in the development of carbon footprint management systems including a Board-endorsed sustainability strategy, setting climate targets, establishing their in-house greenhouse gas monitoring, and reporting.

“I’m all about doing things that move the needle and maximising our strengths,” said Quincy Hotel General Manager, Andrew Edwards.

Quincy Melbourne General Manager, Andrew Edwards

“Whilst the temptation early on was to rush out and purchase bamboo key cards or remove every bit of plastic from our hotel rooms, we know that in order to be sustainable and achieve operational carbon emissions reductions we needed robust data to inform our activities, refocusing on initiatives that directly impact our carbon footprint such as lighting, heating, cooling, hot water and all physical items consumed.”

The 241-room hotel, which is currently the only hotel in Australia to hold the certification, is using offsets to achieve carbon neutrality and working towards wider operational reductions.

“Hoteliers have a responsibility to play a part in mitigating climate change and supporting the sustainable development of the hospitality sector to create a greener tomorrow,” said TFE Hotel’s Group Chief Operating Officer, Chris Sedgwick.

“By monitoring Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions, our individual hotels, regions and ownership groups can identify the activities which generate the most GHG emissions to assist in identifying initiatives that will provide real emissions savings.”

TFE is establishing green teams and working groups within the wider global network to drive localised initiatives to reduce carbon emissions, protect the environment and foster a green mindset in strategic decision making.

With tourism responsible for roughly 8% of the world’s carbon emissions, Sedgwick says TFE is working with its hotel general managers to drive greener outcomes across the portfolio.

“Like all hotels in our network, Team Quincy is committed to internal benchmarking and the continuous evaluation of business operations,” Sedgwick said.

“Our Climate Metric and Targets Dashboard and reporting tools provide the team with the support needed to review performance based on actual data, benchmark performance against peers, to set achievable goals and to monitor progress towards those goals.”

The dashboard is set to become an integral part of TFE’s operations, assisting in monitoring each hotel’s environmental impact as it relates to GHG emissions reduction, energy conservation, waste reduction and water conservation.

TFE’s carbon management system also tracks data on general landfill, recycling, and organic waste production providing information on consumption in tonnes and intensity per metre squared, occupied room night (RN) and by visitor.

“Whilst smart technology with in-room senses for light and air-conditioning is nothing new in hotels, we are quite strict on our room allocations which allows us, during quieter periods, to have whole floors offline from a power usage perspective,” Edwards said.

“In just a short time, we’ve made some inroads and, in addition to investing in NABERS certification, looking at green power, carbon offsetting and initiatives that relate to greenhouse gas emissions, water, waste and energy,  we’re also looking at purchasing decisions and our supply chain; exploring options to partner with clients and guests to educate them about making more sustainable choices; and exploring how we can offset corporate travel and meals.”

According to Quincy’s annual emissions data, the hotel, which opened in 2021, is starting to see reductions in energy and waste onsite and will continue to track this progress against sustainability targets quarterly.

Following a 2020 Hotels Investment Review by Colliers International that stated that the sector had “not tackled sustainability in any meaningful way”, NABERS reports that this is changing.

“Over the past year, NABERS has observed the hotel and accommodation industry stepping up to support Australia’s goal of achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050,” said NABERS’ Acting Head of Product Development, Andrew Buchel.

“We congratulate TFE Hotels and the team managing the Quincy Hotel Melbourne for becoming the first hotel in Victoria to achieve Climate Active Carbon Neutral Building certification.

“This achievement exemplifies the industry’s ability to be ambitious in managing their buildings’ energy consumption and emissions, showing that impactful changes can be made from day one while planning for future capital expenditure improvements to save energy over time.”

Across its global network, TFE is aligning with hotel owners on its sustainability goals, including Auckland-based Cooper and Company, who developed The Hotel Britomart, New Zealand’s first 5 Green Star Hotel, which has 50% fewer greenhouse gas emissions than a building that meets the minimum requirements of the NZ Building Code.

Adina Melbourne Southbank, developed by Hume Partners, delivered “Australia’s first cross laminated timber (CLT) high-rise hotel; the tallest timber adaptive-reuse project in the country; and the world’s tallest mass timber vertical extension”, before selling to current owner, Taverners Group.

“The 5,300 tonnes of CLT used in the construction of the hotel are a fifth of the weight of concrete and act as a carbon sink, offsetting around 4,200 tonnes of C02 from the atmosphere – the equivalent to a year’s worth of carbon emissions from 130 homes,” according to TFE Hotels.

Elsewhere, in Europe, Adina Serviced Apartment Vienna – built in 2019 by UBM and sold to Corestate – achieved the German Sustainable Building Council’s highest certification possible.