Sustainable tourism and hotel design

BUILDINGS are by far the biggest energy-consumers in the world. They consume about forty percent of the world’s total energy. The construction and operation of buildings approximately generate forty percent of the world’s Greenhouse Gas emissions and solid waste generation. In the Philippines, according to the Department of Energy, about 70 percent of energy is used to power air-conditioning units during the afternoon. Imagine, if all buildings will just change their old air-conditioning units, how much energy will be more available? How much energy will be saved?

According to the Climate Change Vulnerability Index, the Philippines is listed as the 9th most vulnerable – under the “extreme” category. All acts to curb gas emissions and environmental degradation, including the simplest ones, go a long way to promote a more sustainable future. Even in the tourism sector, there could be strategies toward more sustainable practices.