One of the biggest misconceptions about measuring environmental impact is that the challenge is collecting data. In reality, the harder task is ensuring data means the same thing everywhere.
Hotels operate in vastly different environments, with different energy grids, water constraints, waste infrastructure, and supply chains. The challenge is not simply what to measure, but how to measure it consistently enough that performance can be compared across a global portfolio.
At Langham Hospitality Group, we address this by combining internationally recognised methodologies with a common reporting framework that applies across all our hotels. This is supported by centralised data management systems, property-level sustainability champions, and third-party certification programmes that help ensure reporting is accurate, credible, and actionable.
We also recognise that a significant share of environmental impact sits beyond our hotel walls. The products we source, the food we serve, and the materials we use every day all form part of the equation. Evaluating impact therefore requires close collaboration with suppliers and sourcing partners to strengthen transparency across the value chain.
Ultimately, good measurement is not about producing more data – it is about creating a reliable basis for better decisions and meaningful progress.
Bob van den Oord
Chief Executive Officer, Langham Hospitality Group
The Question is a thought leadership series published on Sustainability Outlook, created to explore the questions shaping climate action, environmental responsibility, decarbonisation, and sustainable business transformation.
Sustainability Outlook features leadership insights and company stories from organisations advancing progress across renewable energy, circularity, responsible sourcing, ESG, sustainable technology, and the transition to a low-carbon economy.
Produced as part of the Outlook Publishing global network of B2B industry magazines, The Question brings focused executive insight to audiences engaged with the companies, strategies, technologies, and decisions shaping a more sustainable future.
