Boost for sustainability! ITC Windsor scripts history as world’s first hotel to achieve LEED Zero Carbon Certification

Big boost for India’s hospitality segment! ITC Hotels scripts history as the first hotel in the world to achieve LEED Zero Carbon certification! Known for its ethos of ‘Responsible Luxury’, ITC Hotels has been ranked as the world’s largest hotel chain that has the maximum number of Platinum Certified Properties, as certified by the United States Green Building Council (USGBC). Simply put, this makes Bengaluru’s ITC Windsor the first hotel in the world to achieve the LEED Zero Carbon certification.

Terming it as ‘ a growth story that is a story of sustainability’, ITC’s Executive Director Nakul Anand highlighted the how innovative projects such as ITC Windsor are deeply aligned with ‘India’s vision of cutting emissions’ and emerge as a ‘critical driving force behind the transformation of cities and buildings so that they can continue to sustain future generations.’

What are hotels doing to be more eco-friendly?

Notably, ITC Windsor’s global ranking demonstrates how India’s hospitality sector can make a global impact by staying committed to achieving sustainability and net zero carbon status. With its own wind turbine generators and using efficient technologies such as induction burners, electrical boulder and using other renewable energy, the lTC Hotels stands out as being deeply invested in green building and design strategies that create an environment where any human-produced carbon dioxide is removed from the atmosphere through innovative technological or natural means.

Mahesh Ramanujam, president and CEO, USGBC referred to ITC Windsor’s LEED Zero certification as ‘pioneering a new forward for the industry as a whole’ and demonstrating ‘visionary leadership toward a regenerative future.’

Now this puts the spotlight on the importance of green buildings that incorporate reduced energy consumption and paves the way for sustainable structures that serve future generations.

“Recognizing this as an urgent need, many corporates in India have taken a call at board level that all new buildings must be green. There is also a move to convert existing building assets to more sustainable structures. The HVAC system (air conditioning) consumes a large part of the energy of any building. This is where it is essential to have systems in place to challenge and reduce the energy consumption, while providing excellent, healthy indoor air quality for the occupants. One of the most interesting innovations is the use of traditional evaporative cooling techniques, repurposed in a modern avatar that are both cost and energy efficient,” Varun Pahwa, President, Desiccant Rotors International (DRI) told Financial Express Online.

From LEED platinum rating to being one of the first hotel chains in eliminating single use plastic free products and deploying radiation harmonisers and enabling farm-to-fork low carbon footprint cuisine, ITC Hotels has pioneered ground breaking sustainable initiatives that have a significant impact on the environment and the hospitality industry. As Nakul Anand, Executive Director, ITC sums up, “We believe that any effort to save the planet equals saving ourselves.”

Sustainability is no longer a buzzword for the world; it emerges as the only way to save the planet for future generations.