HRS, a corporate lodging and meetings platform, has launched an Emissions Compensation Program (ECP) that facilitates an automated process for hotels to compensate for “unavoidable emissions” related to the stays of corporate travelers. Corporate hotel programs, according to an announcement, would gain from an additional avenue to reduce emissions, while participating hotels stand to gain from more volume as corporations increasingly target properties with the most sustainable attributes.

With the ECP, participating hotels will have the CO2 footprint of room nights booked through HRS interfaces fully compensated through verifiable high-quality projects that focus on carbon removal and avoidance.

The ECP builds upon the free-of-charge Green Stay initiative, which helps hotels achieve emission reduction goals. Hotels do not have to pay any fees to participate. The investment is made directly to the climate protection projects, based on the amount of bookings and CO2 produced. At a cost of approximately 1% of average daily rate, said the announcement, this modest investment enables hotels to achieve more bookings and stand out in a highly competitive market.

Some of the key benefits hotels can anticipate by participating in the ECP, according to HRS, are:

Convenience: The ECP model makes it easy for hoteliers to highlight their participation during the procurement and booking processes used by companies.

Visibility: Participating hotels are marked with a dedicated label. Such attributes will be used in HRS’ procurement scenarios for companies seeking tangible reductions and compensation for unavoidable emissions, including in the ranking order of properties in the search/results listing.

Competitive Edge: More and more companies are working on climate targets and seeking lodging options with sustainability credentials. According to HRS, hotels participating in Green Stay are 30% more likely to be accepted and booked into corporate programs.

Benjamin Häfner, head of group travel management at Deutsche Telekom, said the ECP ”adds yet another game-changing option to support us with the complex and relevant topic of managing residual emissions.”

Tobias Ragge, CEO of HRS, said there is a growing acknowledgement that only advanced technology can truly drive meaningful carbon emission reduction. Compensation scenarios, he said, “are an ideal complement for corporate lodging programs that are taking active steps towards Net Zero operations. This transparent solution neatly leverages technology to give hoteliers a cost-competitive avenue to enhance their sustainability attributes and support quality carbon reduction activities that can be tracked and reported by corporations.”