“At Rosewood Hotel Group, we are wholly committed to rooting ourselves more deeply in every place we are in. With Rosewood Impacts, we are not only championing the exemplary efforts being made across our organisation but setting new benchmarks for positive impact that will propel us forward to a more sustainable and equitable tomorrow. We are proud of the work that our group has accomplished over the last forty-plus years of operations, but firmly maintain that we must do more.”
Sonia Cheng, Chief Executive Officer of Rosewood Hotel Group.
Rosewood Hotel Group is launching Rosewood Impacts, a groupwide roadmap to deliver a positive impact on all its communities and the planet. Rosewood Impacts will recognise the group’s ongoing programmes and a strategic roadmap for future efforts by empowering people across the brand’s ecosystem and a sustainability approach that puts circular hospitality at the core of its business operations. They will fall under two distinct pillars of Rosewood Empowers and Rosewood Sustains.
Rosewood Empowers will be made up of three initiatives. Opportunity element will seek talent from underserved or underrepresented groups, lowering barriers to employment. Secondly, it will uplift livelihoods by strengthening local economies through local hiring, sourcing and partnerships. Lastly, Rosewood will invest in its collective future by empowering people through education and upskilling. Rosewood’s A Sense of Place® philosophy ensures that the brand’s efforts speak to and support the communities and environments where each property sits.
In Asia, Rosewood Hong Kong’s commitment to the local community is realised through the BluHouse, Rosewood Hotel Group’s first restaurant inspired by the concept of a business-with-purpose. BluHouse co-creates neighbourhood resilience through donations, employment and impactful experiences supporting underserved groups in Hong Kong, pledging 1% of revenue and leveraging the group’s Opportunity Employment programme to partner with NGOs to offer employment to refugees and ethnic minorities.
The groupwide Opportunity Employment programme is building a new pipeline of talent from underserved groups not just in Hong Kong but across its portfolio in 20 countries. A newly launched Rosewood Bridges programme connects young people from disadvantaged backgrounds with internships at the group’s hotels. Hong Kong Vocational Training Council students are sent abroad for internships, which are not typically available in vocational education. The group also partners local NGOs to give young people with autism a chance to a career at Rosewood Beijing or Guangzhou.
Rosewood Sustains allows Rosewood to showcase a commitment to growing its lifestyle ecosystem responsibly and protecting the environment for future generations through pursuing carbon neutrality and engaging in regenerative practices amongst others.
The group has set targets for environmental sustainability, including diverting 70% of waste away from landfills and incinerators by 2025. It will reduce energy use and water consumption by 25% by 2025 and eliminate single-use plastics across the portfolio as soon as possible. It hopes to achieve 50% carbon-neutral status by 2035 and complete carbon-neutral status by 2050.
Rosewood Impacts embodies the belief that combining social and environmental considerations leads to the most significant outcomes. By adopting this approach, Rosewood Hotel Group gauges its achievements, sets ambitious targets, and continually improves. While proud of the group’s progress, Rosewood acknowledges the need for further action and is transforming every aspect of its business and operational strategies accordingly. With Rosewood Impacts leading the way, the group embraces the future with hope and optimism.
“Both Rosewood Empowers and Rosewood Sustains have been designed to work in harmony together We are committed to doing business in a way that drives the hospitality industry’s evolution towards circularity and environmental conservation while simultaneously uplifting all our communities. Our actions today have a direct impact on the long-term viability of the planet. Being part of a company that’s making it clear that our efforts can no longer be secondary but must sit at the forefront of everything we do gives my hope for our collective future.”
Mehvesh Mumtaz Ahmed, Vice President of Social Impact for Rosewood Hotel Group
