Ascott puts sustainability at the heart of hospitality

The 41-year-old company has a formalised framework focusing on community, alliance, respect, environment and supply chain.

- By Ry-Anne Lim

For The Ascott Ltd, sustainability is more than a corporate buzzword - it's a set of targets with measurable results, shaping everything from its daily operations to financing decisions.

So far, the hospitality player's push is already bearing fruit. The company clinched the Excellence Award under the large enterprise category at the 2025 Sustainability Impact Awards, jointly presented by The Business Times and UOB.

Speaking to BT, chief executive officer Kevin Goh said Ascott's choices today will shape how future generations travel. The 41-year-old company operates across more than 40 countries, with 14 serviced apartment and hotel brands including Ascott, Citadines, lyf and The Crest Collection.

"Being a forerunner in sustainable hospitality helps us attract investors focused on environmental, social and governance (ESG), corporate clients committed to net-zero (goals), and travellers who care about the environment," said Goh.

This strengthens trust in the Ascott brand, setting it apart in a competitive market while opening doors to green financing, strategy partnerships and deeper guest loyalty.

"It is a key driver of long-term value and impact across our business," Goh added.

To formalise its sustainability efforts, Ascott launched the Ascott Cares framework in November 2022. The framework focuses on five main pillars: community, alliance, respect, environment and supply chain.

This guides Ascott's journey towards achieving net-zero emissions from operations and those arising from electricity use by 2050, said Goh.

Its efforts have made a difference. Energy-saving technologies, such as in-room smart sensors, have cut energy use by up to 24 per cent in some properties.

At Ascott Orchard Singapore, for instance, an artificial intelligence-powered cooling system helped save around 43,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity annually. Other properties in Japan, the UK and Belgium rely fully on renewable energy.