Hotel booking portal HRS has launched a new Emissions Compensation Programme (ECP) allowing hotels to compensate for the emissions related to stays by business travellers.

The Germany-based company said that hotels who are members of its Green Stay initiative will be able to take part in the ECP which automates the emissions compensation process.

This will see the CO2 footprint of room nights booked through HRS being compensated through contributions to verifiable carbon removal and avoidance projects. 

“The investment is made directly for the climate protection projects, based on the amount of bookings and CO2 produced,” explained HRS in a statement. 

“With a cost of approximately one per cent of ADR (average daily rate), this modest investment enables hotels to achieve more bookings and stand out in a highly competitive market.”

HRS said on its website that the initial price for the programme would be €15 per metric tonne of CO2 produced, but added that “market conditions may vary, and prices could increase over time”.

Tobias Ragge, CEO of HRS, said: “There is a growing acknowledgement that only advanced technology can truly drive meaningful carbon emission reduction.

“Compensation scenarios are an ideal complement for corporate lodging programmes that are taking active steps towards net-zero operations. 

“This transparent solution neatly leverages technology to give hoteliers a cost-competitive avenue to enhance their sustainability attributes and support quality carbon reduction activities that can be tracked and reported by corporations.”

HRS’s move comes as it looks increasingly likely that the European Union’s CountEmissionsEU (CEE) initiative to standardise emissions reporting by transport firms is set to be delayed.