Sustainability | Royal Marine Hotel

Royal Marine Hotel has achieved the

Eco-label Award

by implementing an Environmental Action Plan focusing on Energy, Waste & Water Management based on the
Global Sustainable Tourism Council and EU Ecolabel Criteria and supporting the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Sustainability Management Plan

This plan runs from 31st of December 2025 to 31st of December 2027 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.

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 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

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 all staff understand the proper usage of water and energy, supported by signage that reinforces these practices.
Departmental sustainability training: Commenced in June 2026, providing employees with a deeper understanding of sustainability practices focused on specific needs and responsibilities of each department. The training aims to strengthen staff awareness of the value and importance of environmentally friendly procedures, while encouraging their active participation in sustainable practices across the organisation.
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 water efficient shower heads, reducing water flow by up to 40%.
Water flow-reduction smart valve: Installed on the main water supply in May 2026, with promising results already observed. During the first few months of operation, the system achieved an overall water consumption reduction of 11%.
Key Card Policy: Guests are provided with a single key card to avoid leaving cards in the energy device located in bedrooms, 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 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.
- In accordance with the new regulations regarding single-use sachets, effective from August 2026, we have fully complied with the requirements. All single-use sachets have been removed from the hotel and replaced with more sustainable alternatives, including refillable dispensers and glass jars.
Staff Training and Signage: Comprehensive staff training and clearly labelled waste bins to promote proper waste segregation.
Bin Dividers in Guest Rooms: At the end of 2025, all guest rooms have been equipped with bin dividers for general and recycling waste to further encourage and support waste separation by guests.
Public Area Waste Separation: Waste separation bins have now been ordered and are expected to be delivered by the end of October 2026. Once delivered, the bins will be placed throughout all hotel public areas to encourage and facilitate the effective separation of general and recyclable waste.

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 2027, we aim to support a local school’s environmental initiatives.
Drip Drop: We now collaborate with Drip Drop, an umbrella rental service operating within the hotel. Each umbrella rental contributes to the collection of the equivalent of six plastic bottles, representing approximately 113.6 grams of plastic waste removed from nature. Through this initiative, the equivalent of 21.02 kg of plastic waste has been collected from nature so far this year.
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:

Pollinator Programme: We will join the All-Ireland Pollinator Programme and create a dedicated pollinator planting scheme within our grounds, with implementation by the end of 2026.
Biodiversity Areas: We will identify suitable areas of the hotel grounds where grass cutting can be reduced, allowing areas to develop more naturally and provide additional habitat and food sources for insects and other wildlife.

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

3rd of October 2026

Colin Brown,
General Manager