By Raynah Coutinho
The Green Signal focuses on services and operations — versus its counterparts and predecessors that focus on building design and products — to provide guests with ratings that give guests an idea of how green a given hotel is. The body, which is an India-specific eco-labelling initiative, wants to equip guests with credible data. The goal is to provide guests with the tools that will help them choose more sustainable hotels. Preliminary efforts kicked off as early as June 2011 and while it will focus on all sectors, hotels presented a logical starting point on account of their great focus on eco-tourism. Vivek Gilani, member secretary, The Green Signal, tells us about how he chanced upon Jose Dominic and CGH Earth, the benefits of going green and how hotels can get eco-labelled.
Describe the journey thus far.
There was no baseline data. So benchmarks on how much consumption should be are not possible. Larger chains are more reluctant to share data. We are incentivising hotels by giving our primary credits for disclosing data. Once we have reached 10 to 12 hotels, we will begin peer comparisons.
How will you make the consumer aware of The Green Signal?
Institutional funding is on the cards. We’re also try to get a regular feature Consumer Education and Research Centre’s magazine Insight.
How does the rating work? Please elaborate on the symbols.
1 bar: disclosure of scope 1 and scope 2 (energy) GHG emissions. 2-bar: above + disclosure of waste GHG emissions (scope 3).
3-bar: above + disclosure of corporate and value chain emissions (Scope 3). 3.5-bars: above + disclosure of energy conservation practices and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). 4-bars: above + disclosure of water conservation practices and KPIs. 4.5-bars: above + disclosure of waste management practices and KPIs. 5-bars: above and disclosure of socio-economic-environmental sustainability initiatives and impact. We identify how much of what they’ve procured comes from within a local radius.
How can guests and hoteliers be assured of credibility?
The Green Signal is steered by a nine-member panel of experts – each a stalwart in various areas of sustainability. The methodology is vetted by this panel. We looked at European, American and Japanese eco-labelling and made the criteria local to India. We’re considering eventually turning it over to the government, but in most parts of the world, such initiatives (with the goal of ensuring credibility) are privately owned, with credibility resting in the hands of the steering committee.
The Green Signal has been incubated by the Centre for Innovation, Incubation and Entrepreneurship housed in IIM-Ahmedabad
How did you and CGH Earth join hands for eco-labelling?
I was called to address BioFa, hosted by the German government, where I was taken in by a fellow-speaker’s presentation about the 50-mile menu at his 4-star hotel Spice Village. That’s how I met Jose Dominic. It’s interesting how many things he does differently – he targets the Alert Individual Traveller (AIT) and flaunts the fact that most of his hotels have neither TVs, nor newspapers. He sets aside huge chunks of land to harvest rainwater. How has this worked for him? Well the segment of AITs have grown from four per cent to eight per cent of the global travelling population. The hotel saves 30 per cent on water consumption.
It all goes to prove a primary belief; the choice between economy and environment is a fake one.
How long does it take for a hotel to get certified?
Two weeks since one submits a completed application on our website stating what makes them eligible for recognition – following which the hotel is to get their data together. Once that is submitted, it takes another two to four weeks for the labelling to happen.
What investment will hotels have to make?
We divide the fees into four tiers, namely, micro, small, medium and large enterprises. For any entity with a turnover in excess of five crores per annum, the fees are Rs85,000 towards licensing fees and Rs15,000 towards registration and paperwork, which totals to Rs1,00,000.
What must hotels know about how it works?
The methodology differentiates between one-star hotels, two and three-star hotels and four and five-star hotels. If all their hotels exist within the same category and the same climatic conditions, then one submission can be made for all the hotels for a grouped rating – but beware, this may bring your overall rating down if not all your hotels are as green.
