In the Pursuit of Sustainable Hospitality

By Helena Doody, Shannon College Manager.  

    

At Shannon College, we are shaping the future leaders of the hospitality industry. Education has a crucial role in shaping cultures and mindsets, and we are keenly aware of our responsibility to help students gain the knowledge and awareness necessary to understand and implement sustainable practices. Sustainability in business encompasses more than just economic concerns, and is often referred to the Triple Bottom Line, ESG (Environment, Social & Governance), or the three Ps: People, Planet, and Profit. The People aspect emphasizes social responsibility, focusing on creating inclusive organisational cultures and the well-being of employees, local communities, and guests. Planet highlights environmental conservation, promoting practices that minimise resource consumption, reduce waste, and mitigate environmental harm. Profit refers to the economic viability of these sustainable initiatives, demonstrating that environmentally and socially responsible practices can also return financial benefits. These three dimensions of sustainability are crucial to the hospitality industry as they not only contribute to environmental and social wellbeing but can also enhance operational efficiency, reputation, and profitability, ensuring long-term viability in an increasingly conscious consumer market.

The importance of sustainability is incorporated into all our business modules, with a focus on expanding knowledge and awareness of the United Nation’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.  The UN’s 17 interlinked Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have the audacious objective to change our world for the better. They are a call to action to address the wicked problems facing humanity and the natural world: how to end poverty and inequality, protect our planet, and ensure that all people enjoy health, justice and prosperity. It is critical that no one is left behind that this is a just transition where the social and economic opportunities of Climate Action are carefully managed so that everyone benefits and those who stand to lose as a result of the changes are compensated.   

These SDGs are kept to the fore in our teaching so that students are equipped with knowledge and skills to address pressing global challenges in the hospitality, tourism, and business sectors.  Our students explore sustainability around topics such as marketing, entrepreneurship, and change management by learning and thinking about the impact of technology change; assessing sustainable/ethical brands including looking at hospitality related businesses which are aiming to make a difference; and our students are encouraged to ensure the SDGs are a feature of any decisions they make with business ideas, rationale or cases.  

Sustainability in Practice 

We understand that sustainability is an essential consideration in the hospitality industry as businesses strive to reduce their environmental impact and develop best practices in the industry. And we only need to look around us here in County Clare for case studies of best practice. Hotel Doolin became Ireland’s first carbon neutral hotel, the Armada Hotel in Spanish Point has achieved B Corp Certification (an international accreditation verifying the hotel’s entire social and environmental impact), and The Falls Hotel in Ennistymon generates 100% of its energy from an on-site river turbine (McCarthy, 2024).  Hotels across Ireland are making these types of changes to balance profit with social and natural resource sustainability. For example, The Merrion in Dublin is aiming for carbon neutrality and zero waste by 2030 (Sustainable Hospitality Alliance, 2021). We are also striving to develop demonstrable actions in pursuit of fostering a culture of sustainability and environmental consciousness in our students, the future leaders of the hospitality industry. 

In 2023, we launched our Shannon College of Hotel Management Sustainability Committee, which comprises of college staff and students who are enthusiastic and dedicated to sustainable actions. Our committee serves as the driving force behind a series of impactful initiatives aimed at promoting sustainable practices both within the college and the hospitality industry. 

We launched Sustainability Week in November 2023 with a guest lecture from Michelle O’Dowd Lohan, University of Galway’s Sustainability Officer, who outlined the University’s sustainability strategy and was able to convey her deep understanding of the importance of working towards the UN SDGs in a very accessible way. 

Promoting responsible consumption is another key initiative we are taking at Shannon College, both in our day-to-day consumption decisions as well as through education and technology. To encourage the adoption of sustainable alternatives to single-use plastic, the College distributed reusable water bottles to students at the beginning of the academic year. The College’s restaurant also encourages students and staff to opt for reusable cups by charging a cup levy for single-use coffee cups. The kitchen lecturers embraced the ethos of sharing abundance by launching the Shannon College of Hotel Management Too Good To Go initiative, where every Wednesday and Friday, surplus food from the kitchen is distributed to students, fostering a culture of resourcefulness and reducing food waste.  

We were delighted to partner with Positive Carbon affording our students the opportunity to see the latest developments in food waste tracking and management in operation. Positive Carbon provides customers with a system which autonomously monitors food waste and generates AI Powered insights accessible through a mobile or web app. This will create savings to food bills by reducing the quantity of food waste. Through analysis of the data students can identify problem areas and formulate solutions for surplus therefore reducing our food waste. This system underpins our commitment to sustainability within the college and the hospitality industry by exposing the managers of the future to best practice. 

Looking Ahead

Our commitment to sustainability and the UN SDGs extends beyond immediate initiatives, with plans for future projects including the construction of a "bug hotel" in our campus green space to provide a habitat for local wildlife and promote biodiversity. Additionally, building renovations will take place this summer with the prioritisation of accessibility.  

Aligned with our strategic plan for 2023-2028, we remain dedicated to our commitment to innovation and responsiveness to industry trends. Through education, hospitality professionals can develop a sustainability mindset, integrating sustainability principles into their daily practices and contributing to a more sustainable future for the industry and the planet.  By strongly embedding sustainability principles into our curriculum and operations, we aim to ensure graduates are equipped to navigate and lead within a quickly changing global landscape and drive positive change in the hospitality industry and beyond.   

References 

McCarthy, F. (2024) How to have a sustainable holiday in Clare, The Irish Times, 29 April, available: https://www.irishtimes.com/life-style/travel/2024/04/27/championing-a-new-path-to-tourism-in-clare/  

Sustainable Hospitality Alliance (2021) The Merrion Dublin, available: https://sustainablehospitalityalliance.org/members/the-merrion-hotel/