New Carbon Emission Rules for Dubai Hotels

On March 15, 2023, hotels in Dubai will have to begin disclosing their carbon emissions. In accordance with the UAE's Net Zero by 2050 Plan, Dubai's Department of Economic and Tourism (DET) has re-released their carbon calculator.

The Tourism Dirham Platform's Carbon Calculator, part of Dubai Sustainable Tourism, has been tracking hotels all throughout Dubai's carbon footprint since it launched in January 2017. The usage of nine carbon emission sources, including electricity, water, district cooling, liquefied petroleum gas, landfill trash, recycled waste, gasoline, diesel, and refrigerants, must be reported by hotels on a monthly basis.

To gain industry insights on the sector's overall carbon footprint, this data is compiled and analyzed. Additionally, this data enables hotels to comprehend their energy, water, and garbage use and further uncover successful cost-saving potential by developing a baseline and regular tracking.

Dubai hotel sustainability regulations

In order to create a baseline for all hotels in Dubai and harmonize their environmental policies, 19 sustainability requirements were put in place, and the data provided allows hotels and resorts undertake programs to effectively manage their carbon footprint.

The 19 Sustainability Requirements cover topics such as sustainable management strategies, performance metrics, energy, food, and water management plans, guest education, employee training programs, the existence of sustainability committees within hotel establishments, and corporate social responsibility initiatives for local communities.

COP28

As part of our ongoing commitment to support the UAE Net Zero by 2050 Strategy and align with the Dubai Economic Agenda D33, we are pleased to relaunch the Carbon Calculator, according to Yousuf Lootah, Acting CEO of Corporate Strategy and Performance sector, Department of Economy and Tourism of Dubai. As the city intensifies preparations to host the 28th Conference of the Parties (COP28) this year, the improved platform also furthers the UAE's commitment to fulfilling the UN Sustainable Development Goals.