Marriott released its 2021 Serve 360 Report presenting data from 2020 and demonstrating its Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) efforts toward the company’s 2025 Sustainability and Social Impact Goals. The Report can be accessed here.
In support of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Marriott’s sustainability and social impact platform, Serve 360: Doing Good in Every Direction, guides the company’s commitment to make a positive and sustainable impact wherever it does business, delivering value for associates, customers, owners, the environment, and communities around the world.
“While we, along with the rest of the world, continue to focus on pandemic response and recovery, we know we also need to be steadfast in our wider commitment to Serve Our World, particularly to reduce our environmental impacts,” said Anthony Capuano, Chief Executive Officer, Marriott International. “I am proud of what the company was able to achieve during this period and how we have also tackled some of the most challenging issues facing our industry and society. As we make progress on our sustainability and social impact journey, we remain focused on aligning our approach with current climate science and are dedicated to having a positive impact on the communities where we operate.”
In addition to showcasing data on company diversity, sustainable operations, volunteerism, and other ESG activities, 2020 highlights include:
- Hotels supporting their communities through donations during the COVID-19 pandemic, including food to shelters, PPE and other helpful items to hospitals, frontline workers and in-need communities, and event space to non-profits in-need. Marriott was one of the top corporate sponsors of blood drives for the American Red Cross, holding nearly 500 blood drives which contributed over 14,000 units of blood.
- The donation of our human trafficking awareness training to the broader hospitality industry, which in only one year led to training hundreds of thousands of hotel workers outside of Marriott. In addition, nearly 825,000 Marriott associates across both managed and franchised hotels have been trained to recognize and respond to potential indicators of human trafficking since this training launched in 2016.
- Building on the company’s long history of welcoming all by prioritizing diversity, equity, and inclusion by collaborating with expert community partners, enhancing internal talent development programs, engaging associates, and using Marriott’s voice to advance solutions that address barriers to equality and opportunity.
From an environmental perspective, COVID-19 caused wide fluctuations in water and carbon intensity metrics in 2020 due to decreased occupancies, hotel closures and pandemic-related adjustments to amenities and services. Despite this, the report describes how hotels continued Marriott’s legacy of responsible operations by embedding sustainable practices within the four walls of the hotels while protecting and restoring the natural environments where they are located so that they remain vibrant destinations to live, work, and visit.
The Report also includes a tribute to late President and CEO Arne Sorenson and a letter from Mr. Capuano, which reflects on the company’s accomplishments through the pandemic, developments taking place this year, and opportunities for the company to do more to protect the earth and meet its goals in the years to come. Additional highlights include:
- Following the passing of President and CEO Arne Sorenson, Marriott created and pledged the first $1 million for the Arne M. Sorenson Hospitality Fund to support the programmatic and career development elements of the Marriott-Sorenson Center for Hospitality Leadership at Howard University. The Center was established by The J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation with a $20 million endowment.
- Marriott announced an accelerated goal to achieve global gender parity in executive positions by 2023 – two years ahead of the original goal – and established a new goal to achieve 25 percent people of color representation in executive positions in the United States by 2025. The company also announced its goal to reach 3,000 diverse and women-owned hotels by 2025.
- In 2021, Marriott will submit a letter to establish its intent to set a science-based target, highlighting the company’s commitment to doing its part to combat climate change.
More details about Marriott International’s ESG efforts and Serve 360 can be found at Marriott.com/Serve360.
