WORLD SUSTAINABLE HOSPITALITY ALLIANCE, OCEANSHOT, AND DEBORAH BROSNAN & ASSOCIATES UNITE TO DRIVE NATURE-BASED SOLUTIONS FOR NET POSITIVE HOSPITALITY (United Kingdom)
Strategic collaboration aims to leverage nature-based solutions to enhance biodiversity, resiliency, and economic returns across the global hospitality industry. |
|
WORLD SUSTAINABLE HOSPITALITY ALLIANCE, OCEANSHOT, AND DEBORAH BROSNAN & ASSOCIATES UNITE TO DRIVE NATURE-BASED SOLUTIONS FOR NET POSITIVE HOSPITALITY (United Kingdom)
Strategic collaboration aims to leverage nature-based solutions to enhance biodiversity, resiliency, and economic returns across the global hospitality industry. |
Category: Europe - United Kingdom - Industry economy
- Sustainability - Associations and Unions
This is a press release selected by our editorial committee and published online for free on 2025-03-14
 L-R- Deborah Brosnan and Glenn Mandziuk
Photo credit © World Sustainable Hospitality Alliance
This landmark partnership highlights a shared commitment to integrating nature-based solutions into the hospitality industry, aiming to achieve Net Positive Hospitality through practical, science-driven, and regenerative solutions that benefit both the environment and the sector.
The MOU will be effective for three years, focusing on key milestones such as the development of a comprehensive framework, implementation of pilot programmes, and ongoing evaluation of progress. Leveraging the powerful network of the SMI, the Alliance will support the adoption of these initiatives across the hospitality industry, ensuring alignment with industry standards.
Representing 66,000 hotels and 8 million rooms worldwide, the Alliance is dedicated to accelerating sustainability within the sector. Its vision is to create a hospitality industry that gives back more to destinations than it takes, which aligns seamlessly with the expertise of OceanShot and Deborah Brosnan & Associates, who specialise in implementing ecosystem services that enhance biodiversity, resilience, and return on investment.
Dr. Deborah Brosnan is a globally renowned and award-winning ocean and resilience scientist, a pioneer of nature-based solutions, who has worked with world leaders and institutions to harness the power of ecosystem services for the planet and people.
OceanShot, launched in partnership with philanthropist and business leader John Paul DeJoria, is a scalable reef restoration project located off the coast of Antigua and Barbuda where reef modules were architecturally designed to restore a once-thriving ocean ecosystem and protect shoreline and ocean communities from the ravaging impact of storms and sea level rise, as well as to revive ocean-dependent local economies. Its latest expansion will include the opening of an Innovation Learning Lab in Antigua and Barbuda forecasted for 2025.
For the hospitality industry, biodiversity, economic returns, and resilience–including risk reduction and vulnerability reduction–are key metrics that capture the benefits from nature-based solutions – and which can be used across sectors. This collaboration leverages Dr. Brosnan’s ability to bring science-based practical solutions to the private sector and aims to position the hospitality industry at the forefront by developing best practices for incorporating ecosystem services into operations, creating scalable regenerative models that benefit local communities, and implementing pilot programmes that showcase the viability of nature-based solutions in hospitality.
Glenn Mandziuk, CEO of the World Sustainable Hospitality Alliance, stated, “The hospitality industry has a unique opportunity to lead in environmental stewardship while also creating long-term value. By collaborating with OceanShot and Deborah Brosnan & Associates, we are taking a bold step toward embedding regenerative solutions into hospitality design and operations.”
Dr Deborah Brosnan, President of Deborah Brosnan & Associates and co-founder of OceanShot, stated that, "Nature is our ally, and by aligning our actions with the environment, we can build true sustainability. We are excited about this partnership. The hospitality industry deeply values our reliance on nature, and collaborative efforts are key to fostering environmental regeneration."
Under the MOU, the Alliance, OceanShot, and Deborah Brosnan & Associates will work together on several initiatives, including the co-creation of guidelines and metrics for integrating nature-based solutions into hospitality projects, in line with the Alliance's priority to update its Universal Sustainability Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). They will also identify and execute high-impact pilot projects under the Alliance’s Impact Fund, which is designed to turn strategy into action and positively impact communities and the environment. Additionally, the collaboration will focus on knowledge sharing to drive industry-wide adoption of best practices and advocate for the importance of nature-based solutions through thought leadership and engagement.
Glenn Mandziuk added, “This partnership exemplifies the power of collaboration in driving meaningful environmental change. By harmonising sustainability metrics and fostering innovation, we are paving the way for a more resilient and responsible hospitality sector.”
About the World Sustainable Hospitality Alliance
The World Sustainable Hospitality Alliance brings together engaged hospitality companies and the wider hospitality value chain, along with strategic partners, to address key challenges affecting the planet, people, and places around the world. Through their strategic initiatives and global networks, they develop practical programmes and resources to create a prosperous and responsible hospitality sector that gives back to the destination more than it takes. Their members represent over 66,000 hotels spanning 300 brands – totalling over 8 million rooms – and include world-leading companies such as Accor, Choice Hotels International, Hilton, IHG Hotels & Resorts, Radisson Hotel Group, Marriott International, and Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, along with regional brands. Their network, which includes over 100 partners, also encompasses other parts of the hospitality value chain, including owners, investors, suppliers, and additional stakeholders, to drive unified action on sustainability and accelerate the industry towards Net Positive Hospitality.
About OceanShot
Founded by marine biologist & climate scientist Dr. Deborah Brosnan and philanthropist entrepreneur John Paul DeJoria, OceanShot is a massive, scalable coral reef restoration project where coral modules are architecturally designed to restore a once-thriving ocean ecosystem, and to protect shoreline and ocean communities from the ravaging impact of storms and sea level rise, as well as to revive ocean-dependent local economies. OceanShot assembled a team of coral reef biologists, sea level rise experts, coastal engineers, and the local community on the island nation for an intensive, year-long ecosystem study – including monitoring innovative AI cameras to analyze the natural ecosystem, including fish diversity, coral growth, and wave patterns. Reefs were then designed in a lab and planted in the ocean.
The first phase of OceanShot was the deployment of 5 Built Reef Modules off Barbuda in October 2022, and several others are in the design process and will be deployed in the coming year. In November 2023, John Paul DeJoria, Dr. Deborah Brosnan and the Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda announced the development of an OceanShot Center and Innovation Lab to be built on Barbuda. The program is managed by Deborah Brosnan & Associates.
About Deborah Brosnan & Associates
Deborah Brosnan & Associates brings 25 years' experience of successfully crafting innovative science-based solutions to environmental challenges for discerning clients worldwide who want the best for their project, environment, and community. Led by renowned scientist Dr. Deborah Brosnan they are sought out by the private sector and governments seeking lasting solutions to climate-change and environmental issues.
Sustainable Hospitality Alliance
The Sustainable Hospitality Alliance is fully compliant with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). To learn more about how we collect, keep, and process your private information, please read our Privacy Notice
The content of this email is confidential and intended for the recipient(s) specified in the message only. You must not share any part of this message with any third party, without the written consent of the sender. If you have received this message by mistake, please reply to this message stating this is the case, so that we can ensure such a mistake does not occur in the future, and delete it completely from your system.
|
|
