Pro-invest Group announces first NABERS Carbon Neutral hotel
26 October 2021
Holiday Inn Express Newcastle becomes the first Australian hotel to achieve Carbon Neutral certification under the NABERS Pathway
Holiday Inn Express Newcastle, developed by Pro-invest Group, has officially become the first hotel in Australia to obtain Carbon Neutral certification under the NABERS Climate Active pathway; a testament to the hotel’s efficient design, operations and management, led by Pro-invest Group.
With sustainability a core pillar and priority for the asset management and investment firm across their hotels and new developments, Pro-invest Group, together with the support of Ecosave Pty Ltd commenced the ground works for the Group’s carbon net zero journey in 2020. This followed Pro-invest Group working closely with the Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC) to commit to devising and rolling out a Strategy to make the Australian Hospitality Opportunity Fund II Carbon Net Zero by 2030.
The commitment to Net Zero 2030 has since evolved and is now under consideration for Pro-invest Group’s entire hotel estate.
With the strong trading of the Holiday Inn Express Newcastle even during COVID-19 disruptions, the hotel was selected to trial the strategy and obtain the key learnings needed to execute the Net Zero 2030 strategy across Pro-invest Group’s hotel portfolio.
“As a hotel developer, operator and asset manager, Pro-invest Group has the ability to challenge conventional thinking, benefitting from the ability to adapt to change, try new things and build and manage its hotels to target high sustainability standards.” said Jan Smits, Deputy Chair & Co-CEO APAC of Pro-invest Group.
“The NABERS Carbon Neutrality Certification scheme, which is in alignment to the Climate Active Standards, was the perfect fit for our Net Zero 2030 Strategy trial, especially given Pro-invest Group’s commitment to rolling out its hotel portfolio with high NABERS Energy and Water ratings.”
Some of the initiatives that Pro-invest Group embedded into Holiday Inn Express Newcastle’s design include strong LED coverage, an energy management system per guest room with occupancy sensors, a light setting program and air conditioning management, coupled with water conservation measures via efficient fittings and fixtures. These initiatives have been adopted across Pro-invest Group’s Holiday Inn Express hotels.
Further, the Newcastle hotel has benefited from a detailed energy audit with a range of energy conservation measures being implemented while also featuring modular carpet – Interface’s Carbon Neutral Floors product – which reduced installation waste as well avoids future wastage during refurbishment when compared to standard broadloom product.
As a final step in achieving its Carbon Neutral position, Pro-invest Group acquired a small portion of carbon offsets which were in alignment to Climate Active’s standards.
Smits says “Having Holiday Inn Express Newcastle achieve – and be the first hotel to achieve, Carbon Neutral status under the NABERS Climate Active pathway is a tangible example of the long-standing dedication Pro-invest Group has to developing, operating and asset managing its portfolio to consistently targeting ESG heights. We are incredibly proud to have been awarded Carbon Neutral status for our Newcastle property and we look forward to continuing on delivering upon our Net Zero 2030 Strategy.”
“This milestone closely follows the recent announcement of Pro-invest Group’s first hotel, Holiday Inn Express Sydney Macquarie Park having been awarded Aareal Bank’s first green loan which is testament to the market’s positive response to active sustainability measures across the hotel industry.”
CEFC Director – Property Investments Michael Di Russo said: “We’re proud to be working with Pro-invest Group on their carbon neutral journey. This Holiday Inn Express Newcastle achievement is an important demonstration of how the hotels sector can take real action to reduce carbon emissions and benefit from improved sustainability.”
“Ecosave is thrilled to partner with Pro-invest Group and help them achieve the first Carbon Neutral Hotel rating in Australia under the NABERS certification scheme and it has been refreshing to work with people that are extremely proactive and open to innovation and new ideas,” said Simon Johnston, Head of Advisory Services Ecosave Australia & NZ. “We work with many clients to support their sustainability journey, and the Pro-invest Group team are one of the most progressive and most forward-thinking we have worked with to date.”
“The whole team at NABERS has been celebrating the first hotel Carbon Neutral certification being completed, and we extend a massive congratulations to Pro-invest and the Holiday Inn Express Newcastle for this achievement. Getting this Carbon Neutral certification is just part of the ongoing work Pro-invest have been doing. They’re forging ahead with ambitious goals for their properties, developing strategies for improvement and evidencing their building performance along the way through ratings and certification. It’s really great to see this kind of ambition and leadership in the market, and we can’t wait to see what they do next.” said Zoe Baker, NABERS Sector Lead
Holiday Inn Express Newcastle is located on King Street and just a short walk to the vibrant Honeysuckle dining and business precinct. The hotel features 170 well-designed rooms and is situated in the up-coming western end of Newcastle city, close to Newcastle University, Newcastle CBD, Newcastle beach and foreshore and Marketown Shopping Centre. The hotel is also easily and quickly accessible from Newcastle Airport in under 25 minutes and is located a short walk from the Newcastle Interchange.
For more information, head to www.proinvestgroup.com
For media information:
Cindy Van Der Wal
ESG Manager | Pro-invest Group
Email: [email protected]
Mobile: +61 466 561 895