Banyan Group’s Efforts to Improve Hotel & Hospitality Impact

Significant climate change could have a significant impact on many travel and tourism destinations.

Many hotels are implementing energy efficiency measures, water conservation strategies and waste reduction programs to address this.

Hospitality firm Banyan Group has released its 2024 Sustainability Report, titled One Banyan, One Sustainable Future. 

Now in its 19th edition, the report showcases its progress across environmental, social and economic pillars. 

Climate action with waste and water efficiency

In a year defined by operational transformation, Banyan Group accelerated its decarbonisation strategy through major upgrades in energy infrastructure. 

Banyan has made sustainable changes to lighting systems, air conditioning and room control units, combined with widespread installation of solar panels and timer controls. 

Its changes have helped the company deliver a 5.7% reduction in emissions intensity per occupied room over 2023. 

The company’s goal is a 42% absolute emissions reduction by 2030.

Banyan also saw progress in waste reduction with 28% of total waste diverted from landfill, up from 23% in 2023. 

This was achieved through initiatives such as food donations, composting of kitchen waste, upcycling of materials and community clean-ups. 

“Sustainability is a cornerstone of Banyan Group's purpose, and our journey will continue to evolve as we look to scale increasingly impactful practices in the upcoming years with more ambitious climate action, deeper community engagement and greater support for our associates to take action,” says Ho Ren Yung, Deputy CEO of Banyan Group.

“As we track our progress in 2025, we will further refine our associates' roles to more meaningfully support the integration of responsible practices across our operations.”

On water stewardship, a 5.1% improvement in water efficiency per occupied room was recorded, driven by proactive leak detection, infrastructure repairs and rainwater harvesting systems.

Preserving nature 

In 2024, Banyan Group says that it deepened its biodiversity efforts through restorations and partnerships. 

The expansion of “Our Marine Lab” in the Maldives along with the launch of a Coral Reef Restoration Project with the China Environmental Protection Foundation aim to revitalise marine life and enhance public understanding of ecosystem fragility. 

On land, conservation efforts at Taihu National Wetland Park are helping to protect endangered migratory birds, while wildlife patrols and educational programmes continue to be rolled out in forested areas near Banyan Tree Huangshan.

The Group also continued sourcing responsibly, with 15% of seafood purchased from sustainable sources and 14% of eggs from cage-free systems. 

Longer term, Banyan Group aims to use 100% cage-free eggs by 2030 and fully sustainable seafood by 2025.

Empowering and educating communities 

Banyan Group says it continued its focus on community empowerment through education, employment and cultural preservation. 

Its flagship Seedlings programme supported 93 young people in 2024 and facilitated 2,515 internship opportunities, offering life skills, mentoring and career experience. 

Across its resorts, the Group currently supports 306 artisan communities, including 66 newly engaged groups – promoting rural production and traditional crafts.

A vital example is the Banyan Gallery, which transformed 35,000 plastic bottle caps into upcycled guest merchandise and used discarded fishing nets to produce staff uniforms – supporting local economies while reducing marine pollution. 

In Phuket, Bangkok and Nanjing, the company is expanding its in-house water bottling plants to cut single-use plastics and transport emissions.

To mark its 30th anniversary, Banyan Group launched 30 associate-initiated Greater Good Grants, funding grassroots projects across Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, China, the Maldives and Mexico. 

Projects ranged from installing solar panels at off-grid schools to supporting biodiversity summer camps, waste management systems and cage-free egg farms. 

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