As part of the Dubai Sustainable Tourism (DST) initiative, Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) has relaunched its carbon calculator tool to measure the carbon footprint of the hospitality sector in the emirates.
The new tool will track real-time data for carbon emission sources, allowing hotels to identify and effectively manage their energy consumption.
Since its inception in January 2017, the carbon calculator, part of the Tourism Dirham Platform, has been measuring the carbon footprint of hotels across the city. On a monthly basis, hotels are mandated to submit their consumption of nine carbon emission sources, including electricity, water, district cooling, liquefied petroleum gas, landfill waste, recycled waste, petrol, diesel and refrigerants.
This information is aggregated and analysed to provide valuable industry insights on the sector’s collective carbon footprint. In addition, by formulating a baseline along with consistent tracking, this information enables hotels to understand their energy, water and waste consumption and identify cost-saving opportunities.
The data helps hotels and resorts implement initiatives to efficiently manage their carbon footprint in line with the 19 sustainability requirements put in place to establish a baseline across hotels in the city and unify their environmental practices. These requirements include sustainable management approaches; performance metrics; energy, food and water management plans; guest education; employee training initiatives and the presence of sustainability committees in hotels.
Dubai’s revamped carbon calculator
Yousuf Lootah, Acting CEO of Corporate Strategy and Performance sector, DET, said: “As DET continually strives to further enhance its services to stakeholders and partners, the revamped carbon calculator will provide hotels with a user-friendly experience and enable hotels to make informed decisions. By keeping track of their energy consumption, the data provides a baseline for DET to develop strategies for the sector so that hotels and resorts can effectively manage impact, improve the efficiency of managing carbon resources and identify potential saving opportunities.
“In addition to supporting hotels and resorts within the city’s tourism ecosystem, this initiative has a larger goal: creating a city that is the world’s most visited and the best place to live and work in.”
Also, the Dubai College of Tourism (DCT) and DST have upgraded the ‘Dubai Sustainable Tourism’ course available on its learning platform. The course offers a broad range of educational and awareness programmes for people employed in tourist-facing roles across the ecosystem.
The new module includes educational segments focused on the carbon calculator, water and energy saving, how to establish a ‘Green Team’ and implement green procurement strategies.
Dubai Sustainable Tourism seeks to contribute to the broader clean energy targets and support the UAE Net Zero by 2050 Strategy. It also supports the goals of the Dubai Economic Agenda D33, to enhance the emirates’ position as one of the world’s leading sustainable tourism destinations.
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