Savills completes Legacy Hotels & Resorts ESG Strategy

Savills Sustainability Consultancy, part of Property Management, helped Legacy Hotels & Resorts create a customised ESG strategy with corporate goals and a three-year implementation plan.

Legacy Hotels & Resorts, a prominent hotel developer and management company in the UK, has been successfully operating and supporting over 100 hotels and leisure assets for the past 18 years. With a portfolio that currently manages 26 leisure assets comprising 2,348 guestrooms under 11 different brands, the company has recognised the importance of enhancing internal governance regarding environmental and social issues. As a result, Legacy Hotels & Resorts has taken proactive measures to improve the skills of its leadership team, establish an ESG committee involving members from various departments, and embark on a sustainability journey.

To assist Legacy Hotels & Resorts in understanding the context of its business and prioritising ESG issues effectively, the Savills team utilised five key processes. These processes encompassed a comprehensive ESG peer review, a thorough legal review, focused themed workshops, and a materiality assessment. The outcomes derived from these activities will play a vital role in shaping the company's ESG strategy and implementation plan going forward.

Brad Johnson, Director in Sustainability at Savills, comments: “ESG continues to be a major driving force across all real estate sectors and it’s been a pleasure to work with Legacy Hotels & Resorts to understand its requirements and help the business develop a considered approach to improving its environmental and social impact. The hospitality sector is being pushed by both its customer base and the wider market to be more accountable and have strong governance structures. Legacy has taken considerable steps to set up a strong ESG governance structure and outline its longer-term vision."

In its inaugural ESG strategy, Legacy Hotels & Resorts pledged to place environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors at the forefront of its decision-making and operations. The company has identified four priority areas within this strategy: energy and carbon, environment and waste, governance and compliance, and safe and inclusive environments.

Andy Townsend, Chief Executive Office at Legacy Hotels & Resorts, comments: “We understood early on that this is a complex and diverse topic. Key for us was to be truthful to ourselves as to what our starting point was and ensure we build a robust platform to take small but meaningful steps to create a robust ESG strategy.”

Within the strategy, Legacy Hotels & Resorts, together with its dedicated ESG committee, is committed to developing a science-based net-zero-carbon plan, procuring 100% renewable electricity, and exploring opportunities for solar energy generation across its portfolio. Additionally, the company aims to integrate well-being principles into all new developments and refurbishments, actively pursue green building certifications, and establish a sustainable procurement policy.

By focusing on these key areas and embracing sustainable practices, Legacy Hotels & Resorts aims to not only meet industry expectations but also contribute positively to the environment and communities it operates. Through its determined efforts and commitment to ESG, the company strives to create a more sustainable and responsible future for the hospitality industry.

Calum Colquhoun, Regional Operations Manager, Legacy Hotels & Resorts, adds: “Savills guided us expertly through what would have otherwise been a lengthy and arduous task of setting up the ESG baseline and strategy. This helped us bring the ESG Committee together, keep workstreams moving and achieve the targets we set in year one and kept everyone motivated along the way. We look forward to now moving the programme further onto the next stage of implementation.”

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Source: Savills News