Hong Kong, November 3, 2023 – (AP Business) – On October 27, the 14th Insight China Global Forum 2023, organized by Insight China, was successfully held in Singapore, jointly exploring new regional developments and opportunities. The event attracted more than 800 renowned business leaders, public figures, experts, and thought leaders from Singapore, China, and the surrounding region. Mr. Wang Ruijie, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Economic Policy Coordination of Singapore, served as the guest keynote speaker of the forum. Ms. He Jihong, Chief Financial Officer of Huazhu Group Limited (“Huazhu” or the “Group”, NASDAQ: HTHT, HKEX: 1179.HK), was invited to attend the event and spoke on the topic of “Promoting Energy Transition to Achieve Zero Emissions”.
The energy crisis sparked by the Russo-Ukrainian War has highlighted the substitutive effect of new energy on oil and gas resources. China, which holds a leading position in the new energy field, is seizing opportunities to realize energy transformation, abandoning the oil-centric energy structure and accelerating the shift towards a diversified structure dominated by new energy. Energy transition also brings new opportunities for corporate development. Ms. He Jihong pointed out that as a significant driving force in the service consumer industry, the accommodation industry has an urgent need to practice green development in recent years, with the concepts of “green hotels” and “green services” being proposed. The implementation of green development and the establishment of green awareness are of utmost importance.
Ms. He Jihong emphasized that as of September 30, 2023, Huazhu operates nearly 10,000 hotels in 18 countries, with 886,000 rooms and over 200 million members. The Group implements a green development strategy through its vast hotel network and user base, aligning with new requirements for green development set forth by China and the EU. Huazhu adheres to the ESG sustainability concept, continuously promoting green reform and focusing on green building, green operations, and green services to enhance energy efficiency, reduce waste, and meet new green development standards.
In terms of green building, the various branded hotels under Huazhu China actively promote green building projects, replacing plastic products with more natural and recyclable materials for renovation, and driving “modular” renovations in every Huazhu China hotel through a strong supply chain system, further reducing carbon emissions. In green operations, all Huazhu China hotels have adopted LED energy-saving lighting fixtures and actively promote the use of energy-saving air source heat pump devices to further reduce energy consumption. For green services, Huazhu is committed to practicing a low-carbon and environmentally friendly accommodation concept with guests. Through its proprietary digital operation system, it offers guests a variety of low-carbon accommodation options and green service models, including online booking, online check-in, online hotel service reservations, online invoicing, etc., greatly reducing paper resource consumption and achieving green and paperless operations. Additionally, when discussing DH-related businesses, Ms. He Jihong stated, “We have a comprehensive management system and an experienced team. The part of DH that operates in Europe has already established clear rules and regulations to adapt to local government requirements for environmental protection.”
Allseason Hotels Achieve Environmental Friendly Guest Amenities: Starting from the top left, biodegradable eco-friendly slippers, eco-friendly toothbrush, biodegradable tea bags, and eco-friendly laundry bags; from the bottom left, environmentally friendly material shower bottles, unbranded custom drinking water bottles, biodegradable eco-friendly room cards, and biotechnology eco-friendly trash bins.
In discussing how to promote green development, Ms. He Jihong expressed, “We must recognize that the most pressing issue today is the environmental problem. If we take action to solve the problem, it will be better than sitting idly by. It is valuable to awaken more people’s environmental protection consciousness by leading by example.” As a leader in China’s chain hotel industry and one of the fastest-growing hotel groups globally, Huazhu has always been rooted in the ESG concept and committed to lean growth strategy. Under the “dual carbon” policy and global green sustainable development requirements, Huazhu will continue to integrate environment, social, and corporate governance into daily operations and long-term development strategies, continuously build a clear, efficient, and honest governance structure, improve ESG ratings, and create a better life for customers, franchisees, employees, and other ecosystem partners.
