Three-quarters of consumers expects companies to make a positive contribution to society, the environment and people's well-being. So this also applies to hotels and meeting venues in the Netherlands. But why should a hotel do corporate social responsibility (CSR)? What is mandatory, what is voluntary and what are other hotels and venues doing about sustainability?
To better understand corporate social responsibility (CSR), we must first look at the history and definition of the term.
The industrial revolution in the late nineteenth century can be seen as the starting point of the discussion around CSR (or: Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)). Although at that time, there was no real scientific research on CSR. This came only a century later, around 1970. And in 2010, the European Commission defined corporate social responsibility as "a concept [used] to indicate that companies, in the context of their business activities and in their relations with other parties voluntary pay attention to social issues and the environment". Just a year later, the committee returned to this definition. The word "voluntary" disappeared. The definition was then changed to: "the responsibility of companies for the impact they have on society." This definition is still valid.
Why did the European Commission change the definition of CSR in 2011? First, the European Commission wants to further develop CSR policy in the context of the Europe-2020 agenda. It also argues that the economic crisis of last decades, and its social consequences, has eroded confidence in business. With the effect that consumers' attention is more focused on the social and ethical performance of companies. The European Commission is responding to this by promoting CSR and creating favourable conditions.
A logical consequence of this is that companies and organisations, including hotels and meeting venues, do not see CSR as something a venue does because they respect the environment. It is also a business approach in which there are opportunities. Thus, sustainable business also becomes economically sustainable.
There are two different types of motivation: intrinsic motivation, and extrinsic motivation. Intrinsic motivation comes from within yourself, with eccentric motivation there is a reward in return for performance. Professors at Belgrade Business School have conducted research on corporate social responsibility in the hotel industry. This research shows that hotels' motivation to engage in CSR is mainly extrinsic. Indeed, they conclude that CSR as a business approach leads to huge cost reduction. This is due to less water and electricity consumption and lower procurement costs, among other things.
Cost reduction is not the only motivation for corporate social responsibility. For instance, the same study states that CSR leads to greater employee satisfaction. For instance, employees feel more connected to the hotel, and have more company pride. In addition, employees have greater motivation to work and it makes for better team building.
And, of course, there are also sites that, out of intrinsic motivation, ensure that their location is as sustainable as possible. For example, says Achou Zhang, owner of Court Garden Hotel The Hague: "For me, sustainability is always at the heart of my ventures. Both with our team and the society around me. The hotel will impact the environment as little as possible. In addition, the hotel is embedded in the area, involved with the residents and the neighbourhood and I want to promote social cohesion and stimulate the neighbourhood economy as much as possible."
Corporate social responsibility is not something you can do in one area of your business. Of course it is a step in the right direction if, for example, waste is separated, or if local and seasonal purchases are made. But if a lot of energy or food is still wasted, a location is still not sustainable. One way to determine whether a venue is sustainable is by applying for a sustainability label. One of the best-known of these is the GreenKey label. The standardisation of this is linked to the Sustainable Development Goals 2015-2030 of the United Nations.
The 12 topics GreenKey uses when issuing a certificate are:
Of course, a sustainability label is not a requirement for a sustainable venue. There are lots of ways to show bookers and guests that the hotel or meeting venue is sustainable. Because on top of the intrinsic and extrinsic motivation mentioned earlier, sustainability at hotels and meeting venues is now often a requirement of guests and bookers.
"The hospitality sector takes responsibility for being a good host. But it is also about guestipality, the behaviour of your guest. As a venue and as an event manager, you have to give certain impulses to stimulate that guestipality." Says André Nijhof, professor of sustainable entrepreneurship at Nyenrode Business University. The classic example of guestipality is, of course, asking guests to use towels and bed linen for more days. A survey by Samsung shows that 75% of guests are willing to participate in sustainability initiatives during their stay.
Earlier, Hotel Court Garden The Hague was mentioned as an example of a sustainable hotel. How does sustainability work in practice at this hotel? The conversion of the building from office to hotel was done by regional (construction) companies. During construction, sustainable materials and energy-efficient systems for heating, lighting, insulation, air supply and purification were used. Solar panels will be installed on the roof in 2020, allowing the hotel to generate its own energy. When this is completed, the hotel will be climate-neutral.
Besides being climate-neutral, the premises use only 100% organic and fair trade products in the kitchen. All efforts result in:
Read more about sustainability at Hotel Court Garden The Hague on the website.
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