Choice Hotels Asia-Pac is proud to announce it has achieved Climate Active Certification, becoming the first hotel franchisor business to earn this Australian Government-backed carbon-neutral certification for business. Climate Active Certification urges businesses to take a proactive approach to – and accountability for – measuring, reducing and offsetting their carbon emissions to reduce negative impacts on the environment.
This milestone marks another step in Choice Hotels’ ongoing journey toward sustainability, reinforcing its dedication to environmental stewardship and underscoring the hotel franchisor’s dedication to building a better tomorrow, today.
“Securing this industry-first certification demonstrates Choice Hotels Asia-Pac’s commitment to reducing its environmental footprint, echoing Choice Hotels’ global focus on building a company culture grounded in sustainable practices,” says Megan Brumagim, Vice President of Upscale Brands and Chief Sustainability Officer at Choice Hotels.
“For us as a business, it’s about more than compliance – it’s about creating long-term, meaningful change that benefits the planet, our franchisees and our guests,” says Brumagim.
As part of its Environmental, Social, Governance (ESG) practices, in addition to obtaining Climate Active Certification, Choice Hotels Asia-Pac has introduced a range of sustainable practices designed to reduce environmental impact and help hotel owners save time and money on their individual sustainability journeys.
Examples include:
- Bulk amenities program: Choice Hotels has reduced the use of single-use plastics by introducing bulk bathroom amenities across all properties, significantly decreasing plastic waste.
- Room to be Green: Choice Hotels’ global Room to be Green program encourages sustainable practices – reduce, reuse, recycle – across hotel operations. Key to this commitment is a 2025 requirement for all Australian and New Zealand Choice Hotels properties to be at least Level One compliant focusing on energy efficiency, water
conservation and waste reduction. For Level One compliance, our hotels are required to: use 100% LED indoor lighting; provide water-saving bathroom fixtures; run a towel and linen reuse program; provide access to recycling bins; and have a designated Green Ambassador. - Hotel Sustainability Basics program: In partnership with the World Travel & Tourism Council, Choice Hotels is funding Year One of the globally recognised Hotel Sustainability Basics program for franchisees across Australia and New Zealand. This program provides hotels with easy-to-implement, practical steps to improve sustainability
efforts. - Eliminating single-use plastics: Choice Hotels Asia-Pac is removing all single-use plastics from its hotel procurement portal, replacing them with sustainable, eco-friendly products made from material such as bamboo, sugar cane or paper.
- Sourcing sustainable solutions providers: Choice Hotels works with sustainable solutions providers such as Charge Boss to provide access to electric vehicle (EV) charging stations at Choice hotels; green tech, LED lighting and solar provider Arc Consulting; and Energy Action, an independent energy advisory service that works directly with franchisees to reduce energy consumption and expenditure.
Choice Hotels’ commitment to continuing to find ways to reduce its carbon emissions and bring sustainable practices across all its global operations extends beyond corporate goals; and it reflects a responsibility to lead by example and inspire meaningful action on climate change, as well as guiding and providing operational savings for our franchisees.
“Climate Active certification is just the beginning,” says Trent Fraser, CEO of Choice Hotels Asia-Pac. “We’re focused on reducing our carbon footprint, expanding the use of renewable energy, and driving greater sustainability outcomes across our portfolio. Our attainment of Climate Active Certification is a testament to what we’ve achieved so far and inspiration for us to continue to build on this progress.”
“Achieving Climate Active Certification is an important step in our ongoing sustainability journey,” says Kari Hunter, Senior Director of Commercial & Revenue Management at Choice Hotels Asia-Pac.
“It’s clear that sustainability benefits more than just the planet – it’s also good for business. Our franchisees are increasingly choosing practices and brands that align with their personal values and environmental goals, while also helping reduce operating costs. We support these endeavours and encourage all Choice Hotels properties to continue implementing initiatives that are good for the planet and meet growing guest demand for eco-conscious travel,” says Hunter.
