Colourful Quincy Melbourne has become the first hotel in Victoria (and currently the only hotel in Australia) to become Climate Active Carbon Neutral Building certified through the National Australian Built Environment Rating System (NABERS).

Through the certification, Quincy will offset nearly 1671 tonnes of carbon per annum - the equivalent of 167 average Australian households.

Recognising that “what gets measured gets managed,” Sydney-based TFE Hotels - the operators of the 241-room Quincy Melbourne - has spent the last few years investing in the development of their carbon footprint management systems including a Board-endorsed sustainability strategy, setting climate targets, establishing their in-house greenhouse gas monitoring, and reporting.

With the NABERS Carbon Neutral Building certification Quincy Melbourne, which opened in 2021, has become the poster child for the brand, sending a clear signal that the hotel team is committed to addressing climate change.

For Quincy, the journey is just starting, and the hotel is currently using offsets to achieve carbon neutrality, whilst working towards wider operational reductions.

The new Climate Active Carbon Neutral Building certification represents a key milestone of commitment to reducing its carbon footprint and commencing its roadmap to net zero.

For TFE Hotel’s Group Chief Operating Officer, Chris Sedgwick, the sustainability journey across the network is as important as their end goal (net zero in 2050), with TFE’s global network  working towards setting science-based targets for emissions reductions that are not only in line with global objectives but achievable within the context of TFE operations.

“Hoteliers have a responsibility to play a part in mitigating climate change and supporting the sustainable development of the hospitality sector to create a greener tomorrow,” he said.

“By monitoring Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions, our individual hotels, regions and ownership groups can identify the activities which generate the most GHG emissions to assist in identifying initiatives that will provide real emissions savings.”

To do this, TFE is accelerating their environmental sustainability activity by establishing green teams and working groups within the wider global network to drive localised initiatives to reduce carbon emissions, protect the environment and foster a green mindset in strategic decision making.

With tourism responsible for roughly 8%* of the world’s carbon emissions, Sedgwick says the business is committed to working collectively and continuously with its Hotel General Managers to innovate in line with the organisation’s Greener Tomorrow principles: Lower carbon footprint; Greener builds; Sustainable operations; and Innovative solutions.

In Melbourne and freshly carbon neutral certified, the green team at Quincy will use TFE’s Climate Metrics and Targets Dashboard to help drive future decision making in the 241-room hotel.

“Like all hotels in our network, Team Quincy is committed to internal benchmarking and the continuous evaluation of business operations,” Sedgwick said.

“Our Climate Metric and Targets Dashboard and reporting tools provide the team with the support needed to review performance based on actual data, benchmark performance against peers, to set achievable goals and to monitor progress towards those goals.”

The dashboard is set to become an integral part of TFE’s operations, assisting in monitoring each hotel’s environmental impact as it relates to GHG emissions reduction, energy conservation, waste reduction and water conservation.

Quincy Hotel General Manager, Andrew Edwards, is characteristically excited about the possibilities.

“I’m all about doing things that move the needle and maximising our strengths,” Edwards said.

“Whilst the temptation early on was to rush out and purchase bamboo key cards or remove every bit of plastic from our hotel rooms, we know that in order to be sustainable and achieve operational carbon emissions reductions we needed robust data to inform our activities, refocusing on initiatives that directly impact our carbon footprint such as lighting, heating, cooling, hot water and all physical items consumed”

TFE’s carbon management system also captures information on general landfill, recycling, and organic waste production allowing the team to review the absolute consumption in tonnes and intensity per metre squared, occupied room night (RN) and by visitor.

The group also monitor recycling as a percentage of overall waste production. Similarly, the team review water through the absolute consumption in kilolitres per hotel and intensity per metre squared (m2), occupied room night (RN) and by visitor.

Performance is benchmarked by comparing water consumption intensity to other sites within a similar region, considering the regulatory and environmental contributing factors such as restrictions and climate.

Quincy’s building design, whilst not perfect,  is helping Edwards achieve his emissions targets.

“Whilst smart technology with in-room senses for light and air-conditioning is nothing new in hotels, we are quite strict on our room allocations which allows us, during quieter periods, to have whole floors offline from a power usage perspective.”

Quincy opened in 2021 – the same year TFE ramped up its ESG activity – and Edwards admits the hotel is at the start of a long ESG journey towards Net Zero in 2050.

“In just a short time, we’ve made some inroads and, in addition to investing in NABERS certification, looking at green power, carbon offsetting and initiatives that relate to greenhouse gas emissions, water, waste and energy,  we’re also looking at purchasing decisions and our supply chain; exploring options to partner with clients and guests to educate them about making more sustainable choices; and exploring how we can offset corporate travel and meals.”

According to Quincy’s annual emissions data, the hotel is starting to see reductions in energy and waste onsite and will continue to track this progress against sustainability targets quarterly.

Hotel and accommodation industry is stepping up

In their 2020 Hotels Investment Review, Colliers International noted that the sector had “not tackled sustainability in any meaningful way”, a trend that the NABERS says is changing.

“Over the past year, NABERS has observed the hotel and accommodation industry stepping up to support Australia’s goal of achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050,” said NABERS’ Acting Head of Product Development, Andrew Buchel.

“We congratulate TFE Hotels and the team managing the Quincy Hotel Melbourne for becoming the first hotel in Victoria to achieve Climate Active Carbon Neutral Building certification,” Buchel said.

“This achievement exemplifies the industry’s ability to be ambitious in managing their buildings’ energy consumption and emissions, showing that impactful changes can be made from day one while planning for future capital expenditure improvements to save energy over time.”

Recognising that buildings alone are responsible for 40% of the world’s carbon emissions and use approximately 40% of the world’s energy and 30% of the world’s available drinking water, TFE also acknowledges that environmentally friendly buildings are better for the bottom line, better for the team and clients, and better for the planet and is adapting their Design Guidelines and Minimum Standards for new builds to align with their Greener Tomorrow commitments.

Across their global network, TFE is also aligning with hotel owners, like Auckland-based Cooper & Company, who developed The Hotel Britomart, New Zealand’s first 5 Green Star Hotel and in doing so, ensured almost 80% of construction waste was reused or recycled.

Today, four years later, The Hotel Britomart’s operations result in 50% fewer greenhouse gas emissions than a building that meets the minimum requirements of the NZ Building Code.

In Melbourne, Hume Partners developed Adina Melbourne Southbank and delivered Australia’s very first cross laminated timber (CLT) high-rise hotel; the tallest timber adaptive-reuse project in the country; and the world’s tallest mass timber vertical extension, before selling to current owner, Taverners Group.

The 5,300 tonnes of CLT used in the construction of the hotel are a fifth of the weight of concrete and act as a carbon sink, offsetting around 4,200 tonnes of C02 from the atmosphere - the equivalent to a year’s worth of carbon emissions from 130 homes.

And, in a city known for being clean and green, the Adina Serviced Apartment Vienna (built in 2019 by UBM and sold to Corestate) achieved a Platinum Certificate – the highest certification possible – by the German Sustainable Building Council (DGNB).

Related Readings 

Doors Open: Introducing colourful stays at Quincy Hotel Melbourne

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