IHG Hotels & Resorts has introduced its Low Carbon Pioneers programme, to support energy-efficient hotels powered by renewable energy with no on-site fossil fuel combustion.

The Low Carbon Pioneer hotels represent what is said to be the first community within the industry dedicated to such environmental standards.

IHG's initiative is set to facilitate the testing, learning, and dissemination of sustainable practices across its network.

The first hotels to join this programme include the Holiday Inn Express Madrid Airport in Spain, Iberostar Waves Cristina in Spain, and Kimpton BEM Budapest in Hungary.

These Low Carbon Pioneer hotels have green features such as heat pumps for heating and hot water, alongside fully electric kitchens.

Furthermore, each hotel will hold an operational sustainability certification recognised by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council, such as Green Key, or a sustainable building certification such as BREEAM, LEED, or EDGE.

These hotels will use IHG's Green Engage environmental platform to monitor their energy data.

The programme is poised for expansion, with additional hotels set to join from various regions.

IHG Hotels & Resorts CEO Elie Maalouf said: “We are excited to launch our Low Carbon Pioneers programme as another innovative way in which we're meeting evolving guest expectations, helping our hotel owners future-proof their businesses and reducing carbon across our estate.

“This is an important next step in IHG's sustainability journey but it remains one of many we must continue to take. Accelerating change at scale for both IHG and the wider industry also requires broader support from governments ranging from greater access to renewable energy and incentives for owners to a reduction in the cost of technology that speeds up the industry's transition to a greener, more resilient future.”

Additionally, IHG is developing a "low-carbon ready" group of hotels for a future that allows the hotels to be fully backed by renewable energy in locations where such options are not yet viable.

IHG's booking channels will help guests, looking for green accommodation options, identify these low-carbon or low-carbon-ready hotels. 

This announcement comes just after IHG's agreement with Star Millennium to rebrand two hotels at Sydney Airport and Macquarie Park under the Crowne Plaza brand.