Sustainable hotels, venues and services

The Barbican was the stage for the Our Time on Earth exhibition, aimed at transforming the conversation around the climate emergency, and has achieved the Julie’s Bicycle Creative Green Certification with a four-star rating.

The venue plans to reduce carbon emissions to net zero by 2027 from its own operations. It’s also taking bold action such as withdrawing all single-use plastics; implementing a zero-waste-to-landfill policy, where waste is instead reused, recycled and composted; and using 100% renewable electricity.

On food and beverage offerings, its coffee is already 100% carbon neutral, all food waste is composted and water fountains have been installed on-site.

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BMA House has a platinum ECOsmart accreditation by Greengage, which is based on the UN Sustainable Development Goals and criteria from ISO 14001.

Its outstanding approach to environmental sustainability across all aspects of business makes it one of the first venues in the world to have achieved this award.

From plastic- and paper-free events to locally sourced produce and healthy menus, BMA House has also reduced its delegate carbon footprint by 69% and water consumption by 5.4m litres per year. A Green Tourism Gold Award completes the set for this Grade II-listed building.

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Church House Westminster received a Greengage ECOsmart platinum venue award in 2022, an outstanding achievement for this Grade II-listed building.

It means that the venue has an excellent approach to environmental standards in all aspects of its business and that sustainability is front and centre of its strategy. Initiatives include donating all leftover food to the local community and adopting a zero-waste-to-landfill approach.

The events team takes organisers through a 12-step action plan to keep the carbon footprint of events to a minimum.

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Convene has a holistic approach to sustainability, engaging staff to achieve environmental objectives. Initiatives include a heating and ventilation system which monitors fresh air and water systems, and smart blinds which rotate according to the angle of the sun for heat regulation.

The venue works with the wider building by having food waste and ground coffee waste turned into biogas and sent directly to the National Grid. It sends deliveries to a consolidation centre so that items are delivered to the building twice per day, ensuring cleaner streets in line with the City of London’s strategy.

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etc.venues’ seven conference centres have several sustainability initiatives underway, from recycling and waste management to food procurement, energy reduction and staff engagement.

It’s the first hospitality sector company to join the SME Climate Hub, which helps medium businesses to reduce carbon emissions and act on climate challenges. The venues use biodegradable disposable cups and compostable lids, and they send pre-loved furniture to the local community.

The venues’ corporate social responsibility champions monitor and challenge the environmental policies and make sure they are followed. They are working towards a Green Tourism accreditation.

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ExCeL London is the first UK venue to be awarded a PAS 2060 certification, the only internationally recognised standard for carbon neutrality. It's a significant step on the venue's journey to net zero, demonstrating leadership in sustainable events.

The venue uses 100% renewable electricity and offsets any remaining emissions for fuel and employee commuting. Water fountains throughout the venue save 200,000 plastic bottles each year, and the UK's largest wormery creates compost from food waste, which is then used to feed the trees on the development. The venue's zero-waste-to-landfill policy has been in place for more than 10 years.

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As one of the oldest event venues in the Square Mile, Guildhall London is at the forefront of sustainable practices. The venue has been given a Silver Award from Green Meetings, a testament to the City of London’s commitment to create a world-leading sustainable business ecosystem.

Guildhall’s suppliers for food and catering adhere to the City of London Corporation’s guidelines, including a Sustainable Fish Cities pledge and a Fairtrade certification. The venue requests updates on these sustainability and corporate social responsibility policies every six months.

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The Hilton London Heathrow Airport is the closest hotel to Terminal 4 at Heathrow Airport.

The hotel is taking its energy saving to another level through the installation of solar panels. In addition, it has an energy management system where lights automatically turn off when bedrooms are vacant.

Zero waste goes to landfill, and an ORCA technology system turns food waste into water. The executive chef tends the garden which grows herbs, vegetables and fruit using leftover water from events to water the crops. Used coffee granules fertilise the soil, and the garden also includes four beehives.

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Following a multimillion-pound renovation, the Hilton London Metropole operates a carbon neutral programme which offsets emissions from events: a powerful tool for a hotel with 1,100 bedrooms and 35 meeting rooms.

Power is 100% sourced from UK offshore wind farms, and staff uniforms are made from plastic bottles rescued from the ocean. The executive chef sources 90% of the ingredients from within 100 miles of the hotel. A partnership with London Fields, an eco-conscious microbrewery, allows it to source locally manufactured beer.

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Close to the world-famous Tower Bridge, the Hilton London Tower Bridge hotel is implementing a variety of sustainability initiatives, including a carbon-neutral meetings programme.

A meeting impact calculator creates a customised forecast detailing an event’s estimated energy use, water consumption and waste generation and makes recommendations on ways to reduce them.

Guests can get 1,000 Hilton Honors points if they decline to have their room cleaned during their stay and  can also check in and out using their phone, avoiding the use of plastic keys.

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IET London: Savoy Place, part of the IET Venues Group, demonstrates a constant commitment to integrating sustainable initiatives to reduce its environmental impact.

In 2021, IET Venues achieved bronze Investors in the Environment Accreditation by taking various steps to establish sustainable practices in its business. In 2022, the company received the silver Investors in the Environment Accreditation for advanced sustainable actions taken to reduce its environmental impact.

The company also received a platinum ECOsmart Accreditation, which recognises its highest possible standard of environmental sustainability practices, including the use of recycled materials, renewable energy, and the improvement of in-house air quality.

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Situated in the vibrant King’s Cross area, King’s Place is committed to minimising its impact on the environment and aims to be a leader in the cultural sector for these practices.

The event venue benefits from the BREEAM-certified building where it's located, as well as proximity to one of the largest public transport hubs in Europe, which reduces the need to use cars.

Sustainable practices at the venue include converting the lighting in the auditorium, Hall One, to reduce energy consumption by approximately 90%.

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Locke Living aparthotel, part of edyn, undertakes projects that are BREEAM rated. The company uses eco-friendly material and furniture that is more sustainable for the environment. It also cooperates with Dodds & Shute, a sustainable items supplier, to ensure that properties are kitted out with environmentally and socially sustainable products.

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Millennium Gloucester Hotel London Kensington is a short walk from leafy Hyde Park and is strengthening its sustainability efforts.

Millennium & Copthorne Hotels is committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions 27% by 2030 from a 2017 baseline. The company publishes annual report of its progress on its website. The brand's London hotels work closely with UK waste contractors to improve recycling facilities in the back-of-house areas and conference rooms.

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nHow London hotel has a Green Key accreditation after demonstrating a number of environmental requirements, as well as a persistent commitment to using innovation to develop eco-efficient solutions. The company has also implemented responsible carbon footprint projects that improved energy efficiency worth €1.58m.

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Landing in winter 2023, Oceandiva is the first carbon-neutral event vessel on the river Thames.

Static or sailing, it offers three decks for events. Using efficient scheduling, it can reduce the number of journeys and travel times to keep its carbon footprint low.

The venue uses green energy solutions and measures each event, which it then offsets through various funding projects. Additionally, the vessel serves locally sourced fair trade catering and recycles food waste. The Smart Group allows its staff to volunteer for several worthy causes.

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Events continue to run at Olympia London while a new visitor destination is built around this historic venue.

Due for completion by the end of 2024, it is set to offer more on-site accommodation, plus dining options including a sky garden and new theatre.

Sustainability remains at the heart of the project, with all existing assets being repurposed and a BREEAM Excellent rating targeted on all new construction. A biodiversity upgrade is adding 4,645 sq metres of roof terrace space and a 3,872-sq-metre green roof on the new Olympia arena. The venue has a Green Tourism Gold Award for sustainable practices.

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One Hundred Shoreditch is applying for a BREEAM In-Use certification to drive continuous sustainable improvements. The company aims to convert the building into a fully sustainable hotel, starting from its 100% renewable electricity operation, biodegradable packaging and in-room water management control.

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The QEII Centre, in the heart of Westminster, has received a Gold ECOsmart Greengage award, on top of its silver Green Tourism accreditation.

The centre proactively evaluates and adapts its environmental policies and practices, with catering, waste and energy as the main pillars. It has partnered with not-for-profit organisation BeesMax to install a hive of 10,000 bees on the fourth-floor garden to increase the UK's bee population.

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Rose Court Events in Bankside takes its role in operating a sustainable events venue seriously, from vetting suppliers to interacting with local communities.

The building it occupies is designed to achieve a BREEAM Excellent rating and includes birdhouses built into the facade of the building and 130 sq metres of solar panels on the roof.

Rose Court Events also owns a farm in Northumberland, which drastically reduces its carbon footprint when it comes to sourcing sustainable food.

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Part of Searcys, St Pancras Brasserie and Champagne Bar has sustainability at the heart of its business. The company has set out a range of sustainability pledges across all its restaurants, bars and events venues.

Key initiatives include using 90% of seasonal fruit and vegetables from Britain and partnering with food waste app Too Good To Go for unsold food surplus.

Searcys has been awarded Event Caterer of the Year at The Foodservice Cateys 2022.

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The Bloomsbury hotel, part of the Doyle Collection, was awarded a Green Tourism Gold and Greengage ECOsmart Platinum award in 2022.

With its strong commitment to sustainability and environmental responsibility, the hotel integrates green practices in its daily business operations, including using local food producers, reducing light emissions and recycling glass.

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The Kensington hotel, part of the Doyle Collection, won a Green Tourism Gold and Greengage ECOsmart Platinum award in 2022.

With its strong commitment to sustainability and environmental responsibility, the hotel integrates green practices in its daily business operations, including using local food producers, reducing light emissions and recycling glass.

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The Langham hotel has been awarded an EarthCheck Platinum certification for the third year running. It also holds a Green Tourism Gold certification; a Tripadvisor GreenLeader Gold level certification and is ISO 14001 certified. These third-party accreditations demonstrate a strong commitment to sustainable tourism practices.

The hotel has a number of initiatives ongoing such as recycling and reusing; zero waste to landfill waste management; Orca food waste digester system; onsite water bottling for all in-house operations; and donations of food, clothing, linen and crockery to local community charities.

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The Londoner opened in September 2021 with a BREEAM rating of Excellent, thanks to sustainable engineering practices used during its construction.

The building uses new technologies and materials to reduce energy requirements by up to 30%. Guests have digital keys, and in-room waste bins include recycling.

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The Marylebone hotel, part of the Doyle Collection, was awarded a Green Tourism Gold and Greengage ECOsmart Platinum award in 2022.

With its strong commitment to sustainability and environmental responsibility, the hotel integrates green practices in its daily business operations, including using local food producers, reducing light emissions and recycling glass.

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Tobacco Dock, a creative events venue in east London, is committed to helping its clients deliver environmentally friendly events.

It has achieved the internationally recognised Green Mark, meaning that it works to a strict protocol of environmental standards. Besides transitioning to recyclable and compostable items in its catering and switching to 100% renewable energy, Tobacco Dock has planted bee and butterfly-friendly vegetation on its quayside walkway.

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As the official home of English rugby, Twickenham Stadium thinks big. The organisation has kicked off its road to net zero by 2050 and has already significantly reduced energy use.

The venue has been certified with a Silver Award by Green Meetings. The stadium continues to implement new controls to reduce its impact on the environment, including the ISO 20121 for sustainable event management and the Carbon Reduction Commitment Energy Efficiency Scheme.

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The Westin London City opened at the end of 2021, and in just one year, it was awarded a Green Tourism Bronze award.

Highlights of this hotel’s design and construction process included reductions in energy use and water consumption, incorporating green roofs, and managing responsible construction practices and sourcing of materials.

The health and wellbeing of guests and staff is considered in lighting, acoustics and thermal comfort.

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Worldspan offers an array of digital, creative and production services across events and experiences worldwide. Events are planned, managed and delivered in a sustainable way.

The venue has been awarded with an ISO 20121, an international standard created for the 2012 London Olympic Games that can be applied to events of all sizes to manage social, economic and environmental impacts.

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