Our ESG Manager, Cindy Van Der Wal most recently spoke at the NoVacancy Conference 2025 at the Hotel Sustainability Summit. Cindy engaged in a fireside chat with Magali Wardle, Director at NABERS, to discuss driving sustainability within the hotel sector.

The discussion emphasised that aligning ESG priorities with organisational vision — supported by well-defined targets, as exemplified by Pro-invest Group’s One Earth, Countless Experiences strategy and ethos — delivers real value-add. A strong corporate culture, coupled with effective compliance tools and governance frameworks, is fundamental to the successful implementation of sustainability initiatives. The importance of NABERS ratings as a means of transparent performance benchmarking was also highlighted, as these ratings are instrumental in identifying both current strengths and future opportunities for improvement. The value of pilot programs in establishing credibility was noted; Pro-invest Group’s adoption of NABERS across its portfolio over the years has laid the groundwork for ambitious targets. Notably, our fund hotels are committed to striving to achieve a minimum 4.5-star NABERS Energy rating, with aspirations to reach 5-stars where feasible. Our fund hotels are rated annually to measure their performance against these targets, and adopt rectification plans where required.

Furthermore, the session illustrated that data-driven approaches can result in significant savings. For instance, Cindy highlighted how one hotel achieved a saving of approximately A$15,000 in water bills over a twelve-month period by leveraging a NABERS Water rating assessment, with no CAPEX required.

To learn more about our ESG commitments and strategies, please see the ESG section of the Pro-invest Group website.

We extend our gratitude to NABERS and Magali Wardle for facilitating this insightful and impactful conversation.