Proactive responses to mitigate Climate Change impacts by the hospitality sector in South Africa.

Abstract

Commercial lodgings such as hotels, restaurants, motels and bed and breakfast establishments are an important part of the tourism and hospitality sector that contribute significantly to the economic growth of South Africa. However, these accommodations utilize various facilities, equipment and devices in their day to day operations and services that are being powered by fossil fuel energy, and in the process, they emit greenhouse gases causing global climate change. Responsible hospitality business and climate change mitigation are important issues on the South African policy agenda. Many of the policies focus on the greening of the hospitality industry by ensuring that they lower and reduce their carbon footprints. It is against this backdrop that this article showcases different ways in which the hospitality industry can reduce their negative impacts on the climate to climate changes prominent amongst which is the greening of entire facilities and infrastructure, equipment and devices as a strategy to combat climate change surge. The World Travel and Tourism Council’s plan of action which seeks to foster sustainability in the hospitality industry, was thoroughly examined and utilised as a strategy to enhance and strengthen emissions reduction in the sector.

Keywords

• Climate change
• greening
• lodging
• management response
• environmental sustainability