Summary
Details
- Global
Mandatory obligations include:
supplier due diligence compliance for approved supplier status.
legal and ethical compliance.
responsible sourcing requirements in relevant procurement categories.
hotel-level sustainability requirements where embedded in brand or owner programmes.
contract-specific procurement obligations.
Functionally mandatory obligations include:
EcoVadis or HARP-related supplier assessment, where requested.
energy, water, waste and carbon data for properties.
responsible sourcing evidence for F&B, FF&E and amenities.
construction and renovation sustainability data.
logistics emissions data.
laundry water and energy data.
corrective action evidence.
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What’s Required
IHG’s framework functions as hospitality-sector private regulation because supplier access and hotel owner procurement are mediated through procurement platforms, responsible sourcing guidance and due diligence. IHG states that it works with suppliers meeting supplier due diligence standards across areas, including ethical standards and responsible operation, and that its responsible sourcing guidance is designed to strengthen suppliers’ ethical, social and environmental practices.
The framework is built around:
Journey to Tomorrow 2030: Responsible Business Plan.
Responsible Sourcing Guidance for suppliers.
IHG Global Procurement.
IHG Green Engage.
supplier due diligence.
HARP, the Hospitality Alliance for Responsible Procurement.
EcoVadis-powered supplier sustainability improvement.
hotel-level carbon, energy, water and waste reduction.
responsible business reporting.
owner and franchisee engagement.
procurement platforms for hotel goods and services.
IHG’s Journey to Tomorrow plan covers people, communities, carbon and energy, waste and water, with commitments to reduce energy use and carbon emissions in line with climate science, pioneer a minimal-waste hospitality industry and conserve water in high-risk areas.
1. Responsible sourcing as a supplier baseline
IHG’s Responsible Sourcing Guidance states that suppliers play an important role in helping IHG meet responsible business objectives and that IHG works with suppliers who meet due diligence standards.
Supplier expectations may include:
ethical business conduct.
social and labour responsibility.
environmental practices.
legal compliance.
responsible sourcing.
human rights safeguards.
health and safety controls.
product and service transparency.
certification where relevant.
cooperation with due diligence processes.
This guidance is not framed as a statute, but it functions as a procurement regulation because it influences approved supplier status and procurement programme access.
2. Procurement platforms and due diligence
IHG states that procurement teams perform due diligence checks on suppliers and that hotel owners using IHG Global Procurement can have confidence that an approved supplier has undergone IHG’s responsible business due diligence process.
This creates a supplier eligibility system based on:
due diligence checks.
approved supplier status.
responsible sourcing alignment.
procurement platform participation.
supplier risk review.
ethical and environmental screening.
product category review.
owner-facing procurement access.
For suppliers, the key penalty is market access. An IHG-approved supplier can reach hotel owners through procurement platforms. A supplier that fails due diligence may lose access to that channel.
3. HARP and EcoVadis-powered supplier improvement
IHG is a founding member of the Hospitality Alliance for Responsible Procurement, described by IHG as an EcoVadis-powered sector initiative intended to improve the sustainability performance of hospitality suppliers.
This implies supplier assessment across:
environment.
labour and human rights.
ethics.
sustainable procurement.
management systems.
corrective action planning.
disclosure quality.
supplier improvement tracking.
HARP is important because it standardises supplier sustainability expectations across hospitality companies. Suppliers may face comparable ESG requirements from multiple hotel groups, making assessment performance a market-access issue beyond IHG alone.
4. Scope 3 and franchised-property governance
IHG operates an asset-light hotel model with many franchised and managed properties. This means Scope 3 governance depends heavily on hotel owners, franchisees, construction cycles, purchased goods, energy use, waste, laundry, FF&E and local suppliers.
Supplier and property data may include:
electricity and fuel consumption.
hotel energy efficiency data.
water consumption.
waste generation and diversion.
food waste data.
laundry energy and water data.
construction material data.
FF&E carbon and sourcing information.
packaging data.
logistics emissions data.
supplier emissions data.
IHG’s Journey to Tomorrow explicitly connects carbon and energy, waste and water to its responsible business plan.
5. Green Engage and hotel operational controls
IHG Green Engage is IHG’s hotel sustainability platform for operational environmental management. While implementation varies by property type and region, it functions as a hotel-level performance framework for:
energy efficiency
water conservation
waste reduction
carbon measurement
operational best practices
owner engagement
brand-level sustainability performance
corporate customer reporting
Suppliers must support these hotel-level requirements through products and services that reduce utility use and waste while providing reliable data.
6. Food, beverage, waste and amenities
Food, beverage and operating supplies are major hospitality procurement categories.
Suppliers may need to provide:
responsible sourcing evidence.
food safety data.
packaging reduction options.
food waste reduction support.
local sourcing data.
seafood or animal welfare documentation.
reusable or refillable amenity formats.
cleaning product safety data.
waste contractor reporting.
These categories are central because they affect guest-facing sustainability, waste reduction and Scope 3 emissions.
7. Construction, FF&E and capital goods
Hotel development and renovation are material climate-control points. Owners and developers procure construction materials, furniture, fixtures, equipment, HVAC systems, lighting, water fixtures, flooring, wall coverings and appliances.
Relevant suppliers may need to provide:
embodied carbon data.
recycled content information.
certified timber or material evidence.
low-VOC product documentation.
energy-efficient equipment specifications.
water-efficient fixture data.
durability and repairability data.
construction waste diversion plans.
logistics emissions data.
This is where procurement becomes lifecycle regulation. Building and renovation decisions lock in energy, water and emissions performance for years.
Important Deadlines
2021: Journey to Tomorrow launched as IHG’s 10-year responsible business plan.
2030: Journey to Tomorrow target year for carbon and energy, waste, water, people and community commitments.
December 2024: IHG Responsible Sourcing Guidance revised.
2024 reporting year: IHG published its 2024 Responsible Business Report and performance data.
Ongoing: supplier due diligence through IHG procurement platforms.
Ongoing: HARP and EcoVadis-powered supplier sustainability improvement.
Ongoing: hotel energy, water, waste and carbon reduction through Green Engage and Journey to Tomorrow.
Current Status
The framework is active and expanding. IHG maintains Journey to Tomorrow, responsible sourcing guidance, responsible procurement platforms, Green Engage and responsible business reporting. IHG states that responsible sourcing operates at both hotel and corporate levels and that procurement teams conduct supplier due diligence checks.
The framework is strongest in:
supplier due diligence.
approved supplier procurement access.
Journey to Tomorrow hotel-level sustainability.
HARP and EcoVadis supplier assessment.
Green Engage operational data.
owner and franchisee procurement channels.
energy, water, waste and carbon controls.
Penalties for Non-Compliance
Enforcement mechanisms include:
failure to become an approved supplier.
loss of procurement platform access.
reduced owner-facing visibility.
corrective action requests.
contract non-renewal.
supplier replacement.
exclusion from responsible sourcing programmes.
reputational exposure.
inability to support IHG corporate customer ESG requests.
The central enforcement lever is procurement access. IHG-approved suppliers benefit from owner and hotel purchasing channels; suppliers failing due diligence lose commercial reach.
Examples of Known Violations
Realistic failure modes include:
failure to meet supplier due diligence standards.
weak EcoVadis or HARP assessment performance.
incomplete labour or human rights controls.
missing responsible sourcing certification.
poor food or seafood traceability.
unsupported sustainable product claims.
incomplete energy or waste data.
laundry data gaps.
chemical safety documentation gaps.
construction material carbon data gaps.
failure to implement corrective actions.
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