Why Sustainability is ‘Business Critical’ for Radisson Hotel

As Senior Director of Sustainability at Radisson Hotel Group, Sven Wiltink’s remit spans the company’s three pillars of sustainability: planet, people and community.

“Sustainability is business critical,” Sven explains. “It's not something new for our business – it's part of our DNA. It's definitely not something new, but it's the integration in the entire guest and owner journey – and of course linking to our talent – which is critical for our business development.”

Corporate clients increasingly insist on robust environmental and social performance as a condition of doing business with global hotel partners. “Our largest clients want us to be sustainable, otherwise they simply will not do business with us,” Sven says. For an international hotel company operating 1,600 hotels in Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific, sustainability is both strategic and structural.

While tightening regulation is also reshaping the market, the key is to stay ahead of regulation, maintaining a culture of “we want to” rather than “we have to” for Radisson Hotel Group.

He sees compliance, customer demand and investor scrutiny converging, creating a new baseline for the sector. Where sustainability once differentiated certain brands, he now sees it as a collective licence to operate for hospitality. “It is not a competition element anymore,” he explains. “We can be a front runner, but the entire industry needs to move.”

Making net zero tangible

Translating ambitious climate goals into day‑to‑day action across thousands of employees is one of Sven’s biggest challenges.

“First of all, you need to make it simple and tangible,” he says. “If I talk about net zero to somebody in the restaurant, a waiting staff or in the kitchen or a housekeeper, they don't care about that – they need to know how it relates to their daily job. It's really important to translate the message to something which everyone can understand so that you're able to activate a team.

“Ultimately, that's what the world is looking for and that's what we need to drive as well. Different stakeholders will obviously need addressing in a different way, but that's the baseline and, from there, the world is your oyster.”

The message is clear – an accessible baseline is essential if sustainability is to become everyone’s responsibility.

Inside Radisson’s first verified net zero hotels

Radisson Hotel Group’s strategy is already visible in bricks‑and‑mortar projects across Europe.

“Last year we opened our first verified net zero hotels in Manchester and Oslo,” Sven says. These properties were designed and operated to meet industry net zero criteria around energy, emissions and verification.

Initially, the group aligned its net zero roadmap with a 2040 industry milestone for such hotels. “We delivered that milestone last year in 2025, so 15 years ahead,” Sven shares.

For Sven, this early delivery is as much about proving feasibility as it is about brand positioning. “It shows our leadership, owners and the wider industry that it is possible,” he says. “Sustainability is often seen as a cost, which we are proving it is not.”.

Instead, he frames net zero hotels as a “balancing act” that can deliver both environmental and commercial gains. “There is not only the benefit of sustainability, but also increased revenues, increased conversion, positive guest feedback and ultimately impact on the bottom line.”

Scaling a portfolio of net zero hospitality

Having demonstrated that verified net zero hotels are viable, Radisson Hotel Group is now planning for expansion. “We talk a lot about what we need to deliver, and after that we need to scale up,” Sven says. 

For 2026, the group will start growing its portfolio of verified net zero hotels beyond Manchester and Oslo. “The ambition is to open another ten verified net zero hotels this year,” he reveals. That growth will require repeatable design principles, robust data and third‑party verification to maintain credibility. It will also demand continued engagement with owners, staff and partners to embed net zero thinking in every project. “We can be a front runner, but in the end, the entire industry needs to move,” Sven concludes.