By Lea Mira, HTN staff writer - 5.24.2025
Radisson Hotel Group has taken a notable step forward in its sustainability strategy with the official launch of its first two Verified Net Zero hotels—Radisson Hotel Manchester City Centre and Radisson RED Oslo City Centre. Announced earlier this week, the initiative marks a pivotal moment not only for the company but also for the broader hospitality industry, where decarbonization targets are moving from abstract ambition to concrete implementation.
The two properties are the first globally to achieve Verified Net Zero status as defined by the Net Zero Methodology for Hotels. Their validation, conducted by TÜV Rheinland, reflects adherence to rigorous operational and embodied carbon standards, setting a high bar for similar conversions across the industry. Importantly, these are existing buildings—not new constructions—demonstrating that legacy assets can be transformed to meet climate goals with the right investment and intent.
Both hotels now operate exclusively on renewable energy. In Manchester, this includes newly installed heat pumps that supply hot water and a fully electrified kitchen, replacing gas-powered appliances with energy-efficient induction cooking. In Oslo, the hotel draws on the city’s innovative district heating system, which sources thermal energy from local waste incineration and data centers. This system not only cuts emissions but aligns with circular economy principles, where waste from one sector becomes energy for another.
But the transformation extends beyond the energy supply. Radisson has also overhauled its food and beverage operations in partnership with Klimato, an organization that specializes in calculating and communicating the carbon footprint of food items. New menus at the two properties emphasize seasonal and locally sourced ingredients, with a stated aim to reduce food-related emissions by up to 40%. Menu labels now inform guests of the environmental impact of their selections, a subtle nudge toward more responsible consumption.
The waste management approach is equally robust. Both hotels have implemented digital food waste tracking software and work with Too Good To Go, a platform that redistributes surplus food to local consumers at discounted prices. The waste that can’t be avoided is either recycled or composted, minimizing landfill contributions and aligning with the group’s waste-reduction commitments.
For residual emissions that remain after operational changes, Radisson Hotel Group has turned to carbon offsetting. The credits are sourced from Agreena, which works with over 2,300 farmers across Europe to implement regenerative agriculture practices on more than 4.5 million hectares of land. While offsets remain a contentious issue in climate strategy discussions, the group’s approach—prioritizing reductions first, then offsetting what can’t be eliminated—is broadly in line with emerging best practices.
What’s significant about this initiative is that it comes at a time when much of the industry’s sustainability rhetoric has yet to translate into widespread operational change. According to recent studies, the hospitality sector contributes between 1% and 2% of global greenhouse gas emissions, a share expected to grow as travel demand increases. And while many major hotel brands have committed to net zero goals by mid-century, few have yet unveiled concrete examples of how those targets will be met.
Radisson Hotel Group’s move arrives in parallel with other brand initiatives. Hilton’s “Travel with Purpose” program and Marriott’s “Serve 360” platform, for example, outline ambitious environmental, social, and governance goals. Both aim to halve emissions and waste while increasing renewable energy usage and water efficiency. Yet compared to these broader commitments, Radisson’s Verified Net Zero hotels provide a more tangible benchmark—measurable, operational, and replicable.
What makes this development especially compelling is its pragmatic focus. Rather than showcase futuristic designs or headline-grabbing concepts, the group is demonstrating how existing assets—typically seen as a barrier to progress—can be reimagined to meet ambitious targets. Given that 80% of the buildings expected to be in use in 2050 already exist today, such retrofitting will need to become standard practice.
In that context, the Manchester and Oslo hotels serve not only as a proof of concept but as a challenge to the industry: that sustainability isn’t a future aspiration but a present imperative. And it can begin not with what’s new, but with what’s already in place.