The hotel industry faces persistent scrutiny for its environmental footprint, with critics pointing to higher energy and water consumption than private households, along with waste from buffets, wellness facilities and lighting. Yet Benjamin Förtsch, third-generation owner of Hotel Luise in Erlangen, Germany, and a member of the Green Pearls network, argues the comparison is fundamentally flawed.
“That’s like comparing apples to oranges. Do you have a buffet and a wellness area at home? A hotel can actually be more efficient because its processes are streamlined. Furthermore, hotels are test labs and showrooms. The question is: How are you going to use it? I am convinced that guests at our Hotel Luise have a positive impact.”
A frequent objection is that a trip’s greatest climate effect stems from the journey itself rather than the accommodation. Förtsch acknowledged this but pushed back on the implication that hotels are therefore irrelevant. “Of course, it is limited. As a hotelier, however, you can also consider which target group you want to appeal to. Do my guests add value to the region? Do they interact with the value chain? Hotels have a responsibility to establish these connections.”
He illustrated the point with a reference to industrial energy use. “They said that by optimising their trace heating for just a few hours, they could save more electricity than we consume in an entire year. Does that mean everything we do is pointless? No, because there are significantly more hotels than steel mills!”
Despite acknowledging those limits, Förtsch maintains that the sector is not doing enough, even as individual hotels often exceed what they publicise. “Surprisingly, many hotels do more than they communicate, not the other way around,” he said. “Taken together, all these measures are still not enough for our planet. That’s what drives me. We must constantly find new ways forward.”
His family began promoting sustainable tourism 45 years ago. The certification criteria used 30 years ago, he noted, mirror those in use today. Hotel Luise began measuring its carbon footprint 15 years ago and became the first hotel in Franconia to achieve carbon neutrality in 2010. Five years ago, it introduced the “Nachwachsende Hotelzimmer” (Renewable Hotel Room), designed on cradle-to-cradle principles and incorporating:
- NASA-inspired shower technology saving 90% water and 80% energy.
- Straw ceilings free of formaldehyde glue.
- 100% recyclable carpet tiles made from fishing nets.
The hotel, founded in 1956, now operates as a climate-positive property. It won the German Sustainability Award 2025 for its circular economy approach and holds the EU Eco Label. Guests in its climate-positive rooms produce 58.6% less carbon dioxide than in comparable accommodation.
Yet Förtsch has grown disillusioned with the word “sustainability” after decades of limited systemic change. “If something had really changed, I wouldn’t still have to keep saying the same things my parents said back then!” His parents were once dismissed as “green nutcases,” and he risks similar labels today. To channel that frustration constructively, the hotel created the Wall of Change, featuring over 270 measures ranging from the small to the large, intended to inspire staff and guests alike.
The wider context underlines the stakes. The hotel sector contributes around 1% of global carbon emissions, with energy accounting for 60% of a typical property’s carbon footprint. The Sustainable Hospitality Alliance estimates the industry must cut emissions by 66% per room by 2030 and 90% by 2050 to align with climate goals. Water use per room can reach 100 to 400 gallons daily, while laundry alone accounts for 16% of consumption in many properties. Towel reuse programmes at one major resort have saved 30 million gallons of water annually.
Förtsch rejects empty rhetoric but supports genuine standards. “Standards, yes. Empty words, no. If sustainable hospitality means making the industry more resilient, independent, and future-proof, then I’m on board. However, anyone who thinks this is just a niche model has missed the point.”
When asked whether the term “sustainability” has run its course, he offered a direct alternative: “Responsibility. Entrepreneurship. And the realization that we are all part of both the problem and the solution.”