Abu Dhabi Debuts Carbon Calculator For Hotels To Foster Sustainable Tourism

The Department of Culture and Tourism- Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) has unveiled a pioneering initiative at the Arabian Travel Market (ATM 2024), introducing the Carbon Calculator for the emirate's hotels. This innovative tool is designed to assist hotels in monitoring and evaluating their carbon emissions from various sources, aligning with the UAE's ambitious Net Zero by 2050 strategic initiative. The ultimate goal is to reduce the carbon footprint of the hospitality industry by providing a dashboard for identifying high consumption areas, particularly in energy and water use.

The development of the Carbon Calculator was a collaborative effort, involving consultations with hotel industry representatives and government stakeholders such as the Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi (EAD) and the Department of Energy Abu Dhabi (DoE). The EAD contributed its expertise on GreenHouse Gases (GHGs) accounting methodology and tools, ensuring the initiative aligns with its Green Business Network.

By tracking consumption metrics for fuel, gas, electricity, and water and converting these into a standardized measurement (kgCO2e), the tool enables comprehensive industry analysis. This will not only help DCT Abu Dhabi identify high-performing hotels but also support those with higher consumption levels to reduce their emissions over time.

This initiative is part of broader decarbonization efforts across the emirate, encouraging the adoption of eco-friendly solutions like retrofitting. It also sets a precedent for expanding carbon footprint accounting to other sectors within the tourism industry, including events, cultural sites, and entertainment attractions.

Saleh Mohammed Al Geziry, Director-General of Tourism at DCT Abu Dhabi, emphasized the significance of this launch for Abu Dhabi's hospitality sector. He highlighted that empowering hotels to understand and manage their environmental impact is crucial for fostering eco-friendly tourism practices. This approach aims to attract more environmentally conscious tourists, in line with the leadership's vision of transforming Abu Dhabi into a carbon-neutral destination by 2050.

Dr. Shaikha Salem Al Dhaheri, Secretary-General of EAD, praised the proactive role of the industry in reducing their carbon footprint towards sustainability. She noted that the Carbon Calculator exemplifies DCT's commitment to leveraging digital technology for an eco-friendly tourism sector. The tool will play a crucial role in supporting climate action and reducing GHG emissions in Abu Dhabi.

Ahmed Juma Al Falasi, Energy Efficiency Sector Executive Director-Acting at DoE, highlighted how the Carbon Calculator supports Abu Dhabi's energy and water efficiency targets under its Demand Side Management & Energy Rationalization Strategy 2030. He stressed that this tool underscores a commitment to environmental stewardship and empowers hoteliers to make decisions that reduce their carbon footprint.

All hotels in Abu Dhabi are required to use the Carbon Calculator and submit their consumption data, with mandatory monthly reporting across the industry. By registering on the Calculator and verifying their data, hotels will gain access to dynamic dashboards offering valuable insights to inform and prioritize sustainability efforts. This mandatory participation underscores DCT Abu Dhabi's commitment to onboarding all hotels in the emirate onto this platform, accessible at http://www.carboncalculator.dct.gov.ae.

With inputs from WAM