Melia Hotels International, the leading hotel group in Spain, recognised as the most sustainable company in the world for its sector by S&P Global, has begun implementing its new sustainable event initiative: Road to Net Zero Events. This project, which the company is presenting at the IBTM trade fair in Barcelona, is the result of technology developed in collaboration with Creast, a company that specialises in measuring, reducing and offsetting the environmental impact of events, which has been tested for the past year in Europe at Melia Barcelona Sarria and Melia Berlin.
Road to Net Zero Events, as the name suggests, was developed to find improvement opportunities that would help the company towards the goal of achieving carbon neutrality in events, responding to increasing demand from professionals in the sector. Accordingly, the initiative is focused on three key aspects:
Firstly, Melia has worked with Creast to develop cutting-edge technology that calculates the carbon footprint at two crucial points: the quotation stage and the end of the event. This technology is integrated into hotel management systems and provides measurements based on data specific to each hotel and each event. It calculates the carbon emissions produced by the accommodation, the meeting rooms and, as a novelty, the consumption of food and beverages: it is the only hotel system that provides detailed information about each menu's carbon footprint.
Secondly, Road to Net Zero Events is designed to help event organisers make responsible decisions based on Melia Hotels International's commitments and initiatives to reduce their environmental impact. This will enable the customer to discover first-hand the emissions they have avoided at their events by choosing Melia, a company that has achieved a green energy consumption level of 100% at all its hotels in Europe, along with its various other initiatives to manage its waste and water footprint, among other things.
Finally, to strengthen its commitment to a more sustainable management model, Melia Hotels International will offset the carbon footprint of all events held as part of its Road to Net Zero Events initiative. As Jose Miguel Moreno, VP of Corporate & MICE Sales Strategy at Melia Hotels International, explains, With this initiative, we're going one step further to create events that not only inspire and connect people, but that also contribute towards a greener planet. We will work hand in hand with our customers to offset the carbon footprint of their events, whether through a solution of their choice or our emissions-offsetting initiative, The Planet We Love. This initiative makes it possible to acquire carbon credits certified by the United Nations, which support a selection of projects in developing countries to reduce emissions, applying blockchain technology to ensure traceability for the entire process.
At the initial stage, Road to Net Zero Events is available for large events at a dozen different Melia hotels in Europe and the Caribbean, including Melia Madrid Princesa, Melia Valencia and Melia Palma Bay in Spain; Melia Milano (Italy), Melia Paris La Defense (France), Melia Frankfurt (Germany) and Paradisus Palma Real (Dominican Republic), in addition to Melia Barcelona Sarria and Melia Berlin, as already mentioned.
Over the coming months, other hotels will also be included in the initiative, with the midterm goal of incorporating all the properties in the group where the MICE segment is particularly important?.
About Melia Hotels International
Founded in 1956 in Mallorca (Spain), Melia Hotels International operates more than 380 hotels (portfolio and pipeline) throughout more than 40 countries, under the brands Gran Melia Hotels & Resorts, Paradisus by Melia, ME by Melia, Melia Hotels & Resorts, The Melia Collection, INNSiDE by Melia, Sol by Melia and Falcon's Resorts by Melia, plus a wide portfolio of affiliated hotels under the 'Affiliated by Melia' network. The Group is one of the leading companies in resort hotels worldwide, while also leveraging its experience to consolidate the growing segment of the leisure-inspired urban market. Its commitment to responsible tourism has led the Group to become the most sustainable hotel company in Spain and Europe, according to the last S&P Global Corporate Sustainability Assessment (Silver Class). It also has ranked seventh in the Wall Street Journal's list of the 100 most sustainably managed companies in the world (and the leading travel company) and is the only Spanish travel company included in the list of 'Europe's Climate Leaders 2021' by Financial Times. Melia Hotels International is also included in the IBEX 35 Spanish stock market. For more information, visit www.meliahotelsinternational.com
MELIA HOTELS INTERNATIONAL, S.A. 
