Sustainability | Royal Marine Hotel

Sustainability Management Plan

This plan runs from 1st January 2024 to 31st December 2025 and will be reviewed and updated annually to reflect actions taken and new actions planned or underway.

We are committed to taking the steps required to operate our business in the most sustainable manner that we can. We also recognise that we require external support and expertise to guide us on this pathway and therefore we have partnered with the Green Hospitality Award to provide this support along with taking part of Failte Ireland Climate Action Plan

Green Hospitality Award provides a certification programme that allows us to start this journey and build up our knowledge and activities over time. The Green Hospitality Award supports multiple UN Sustainable Development Goals, the Circular Economy and Climate Change and is aligned with the EU Ecolabel, the Global Sustainable Tourism Council Criteria and supports the All Island Sustainable Tourism Assurance programme which ensures we are aligned with national and international objectives and enable us to satisfy the demands and needs of all our stakeholders – Our Customers, Employees, Local Community, Regulatory Authorities, Financial Supporters, etc. - whilst minimising our emissions and becoming more efficient.

Our vision is to keep improving our performance annually whilst running a financially sustainable business.

Our focus will be on initially implementing the standards required to achieve the Green Hospitality Eco-Label Award which will provide us with an excellent base and then to improve and add additional standards and actions, that will see us embedding sustainability within our business

Sustainability Policy

We recognise that our business has an important role to play in protecting and enhancing the environment for future generations and to help secure the long-term sustainability of the Tourism Industry

To this end The Royal Marine Hotel is committed to taking the following actions:

To secure and then maintain the Green Hospitality Eco-Label Award which will embed our Sustainability Plan within our business
To achieve sound environmental practices across out entire operation
To review and update this Policy annually and report on our progress in achieving our Goals and Targets
To create an Environmental Action Plan setting out our planned actions - current and future
To comply fully with all relevant environmental legislation
To minimise our waste with a specific focus on minimising Food Waste, Single Use Plastic and Landfill
To monitor and reduce our water consumption
To Reduce, Reuse and Recycle the resources consumed by our business wherever practical
To develop and implement a Green Purchasing Policy that actively favours local and responsibly sourced goods and services
To invite our customers, suppliers and contractors to participate in our efforts to protect the environment
To provide all employees with the training and resources required to meet our objectives
To openly communicate our policies and practices to interested parties - To monitor and record our performance with our policies, objectives and targets

Major Targets and Objectives

Our initial Targets are to:

Implement the Green Hospitality Eco-Label Award Standards by the end of 2025
Apply for and secure the Green Hospitality Eco-Label Award by the end of 2025

Once we have achieved the Green Hospitality Eco-Label Award, we will review all the information and data we have gathered and set new targets for the forthcoming years

We are in the process of measuring our emissions through 2024 and will use these as our baseline KPI’s, recognising at the same time national mandates to reduce carbon emissions.

Carbon Emissions
To reduce our Carbon Equivalent Emissions (CO2e) by 75% by 2030, based on 2018 emissions and allowing for the use of Renewable energies.

Energy and Water Consumption
Following the establishment of our baseline measurements, we will set realistic reduction targets for absolute energy consumption. These targets, along with the associated action plans, will be detailed with specific milestones for 2026 and 2030.

To achieve these targets, we have already begun implementing a range of energy and water-saving initiatives, including:

Staff Training: Ongoing training programs to ensure staff understand the proper usage of water and energy, supported by signage that reinforces these practices.
Sensor Lighting: Installation of sensor-controlled lighting in areas where lights are frequently left on unintentionally.
Energy-Efficient Lighting: Transition to 95% LED lighting across all areas to reduce energy consumption.
Water-Saving Shower Heads: All guest rooms have been equipped with waterefficient shower heads, reducing water flow by up to 40%.
Key Card Policy: Guests are provided with a single key card to avoid leaving cards in the energy devices, which helps to reduce unnecessary energy consumption.

Waste Management
In line with our baseline measurements, we will establish realistic waste reduction targets, focusing on continuous improvement. These targets will be clearly defined, with specific timelines set for 2025, 2026, and 2027, aiming to meet and exceed national key performance indicators (KPIs).

Our ongoing efforts include:

Reduction of Single-Use Plastics: We have significantly reduced single-use plastics across the property.
Staff Training and Signage: Comprehensive staff training and clearly labeled waste bins to promote proper waste segregation.
Bin Dividers in Guest Rooms: By the end of 2025, we aim to introduce bin dividers in all guest rooms to encourage waste separation by guests.
Public Area Waste Separation: We are budgeting for waste separation bins in all public areas, with implementation planned by the end of 2026.

Green Purchasing
We will measure and track the sustainability of our local sourcing practices and identify opportunities to increase the percentage of locally procured goods and services. Our interim objectives include:

Minimizing Excessive Packaging: Working with suppliers to reduce packaging waste.
Collaborating with Sustainable Suppliers: Fostering partnerships with suppliers and partners who prioritize sustainability.

Community and Social Responsibility
Our commitment to social responsibility is demonstrated through:

Tidy Towns Program: We will continue our collaboration with Tidy Towns, participating in their clean-up program at least twice a month.
Support for Local Schools: By the end of 2026, we aim to support a local school’s environmental initiatives.
Transparency in Communication: We will communicate our sustainability performance and achievements monthly via our website to engage and inform our stakeholders.

Biodiversity and Environmental Impact
Our biodiversity and environmental initiatives will include:

A designated portion of the lawn will reamin uncut to support native insect populations and foster a natural ecosystem.

Communication and Reporting
We are committed to transparency in reporting our environmental and sustainability efforts. Our key communication strategies include:

Annual Reports: We will publish an annual report on our environmental and sustainability performance, showcasing our progress and future goals.
Green Pages: A dedicated section on our website will feature updates on our sustainability initiatives, including regular progress reports.
Guest Directory Updates: We will update the guest directory on our in-room TV screens to include a dedicated sustainability page, allowing guests to learn more about our initiatives and actions.

This comprehensive approach will ensure continuous improvement in our sustainability practices and contribute positively to both our local community and the global environment.

We will review and update this policy and our targets at least annually, and as we grow more confident regarding our ability to improve our sustainability performance.

This is a far-reaching Policy and when starting to embed sustainability within our business we realise that we cannot implement every action immediately but will improve over time – however, we will constantly return to this policy to maintain our focus and vision in our planning and day-to-day operation

20th of June 2025

Colin Brown,
General Manager