The Irish Times has published an article titled:

Food & Drink companies facing mandatory emission targets. 

The article starts by saying: 

“All major Irish food and drinks companies will in future have to commit to reducing carbon emissions if they are to be part of Origin Green – the national sustainability programme run by Bord Bia.”

This is not surprising at all, what is surprising to me is that these measures are not part of our real world right now.

The Paris agreement is a legally binding international treaty on Climate change adopted by 196 parties in 2015. All countries participating need to achieve Zero Carbon by 2050.

Implementation of the Paris Agreement requires economic and social transformation.

But how do we achieve social transformation?

Social transformation is not something that can be achieved in a couple of years. Our culture, politics, economy, the way we think and live, needs to be transformed in a way where carbon emissions are part of our DNA. 

Carbon ...

Reducing carbon emissions should not be left to the large corporations alone. There are small changes and steps we can ALL learn to reduce our own carbon footprint.

Yes, I agree that for real impact it is vital that large corporations and governments adopt different policies when it comes to protecting our environment. But it does not take away from the fact that there many ways in which WE can assist in promoting a more circular economy and a culture of sustainability.

If you are at that point where you want to make changes but you do not know how or where to start, we are here to help.

Let’s start with those simple daily, weekly or monthly activities that impact the environment.

I can come up with one easy list of things, amongst many others:

• The energy we use
• The water we use
• The waste we produce
• The way we travel to and from places
• The purchases we make 

If you have been following us for a while, you will know by now that we concentrate on the first 3; the reduction ...

As adults, and in particular as professionals in our industry, it is hard to admit that there might be a better way to do things.

We have to be open to change.

We have to be whiling to admit the errors of our ways, and learn a new skill that will allow us to run more efficient businesses.

We have to be whiling to change the way we have always done things.

What if I was to tell you there are things you can do right now, today, without the need of capital investment to reduce your Hotel’s carbon footprint and SAVE YOU MONEY every day?

Would it be worth to dedicate some time this week to learn how?

The secret is that it all starts with behavioural change, with a willingness to learn something knew and apply it to your daily routine.

Changing yours and your team’s behaviour might seem an impossible task, but it is no different than training a brand new employee. If someone joins your team, you will be telling them about your company’s mission, your customer service promise, how you ...

Make America Great Again has been one of the taglines used by President Donald Trump since 2016. For me, the connotation of this tagline is to make America great at the expense of other nations, economies and even species.

It is no secret that Trump’s presidency is based on a ruthless ideology of capitalism over anything else, but one of the most dangerous aspects of his presidency is the lifted protections for at-risk animals as part of his aggressive rollback of environmental rules.

Biodiversity in the world is at its worst state in human history, 1 million land and marine species across the globe are threatened with extinction.

In a now “usual” spectacle of ignorance, the Trump administration has lifted protections for America’s animals and opened up a huge amount of federal land for oil and gas drilling, coal mining and other industrial activities.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/oct/20/trump-administration-endangered-species-environmental-rules

According to the...

When I first founded Fifty Shades Greener in 2017, my mission was to help Green the Hospitality industry in Ireland. It was a simple mission and quite achievable, little did I know my “vision” would grow legs from there, and 3 years later I would be expanding to international markets.

I have worked in the Hospitality Industry all my life, since I was 17, starting in night clubs, moving to Hotels and climbing the ranks over the years. I loved working in the industry, I have met the most amazing people through the places I have worked in, but as I near my 40’s, there were many reasons why I knew I needed a change.

• The hours are long
• The life style is fast paced
• The patience sometimes starts thinning!!

Discovering the concept of “Green Hospitality” was a life changer for me. All of a sudden, I realised there was more to hospitality than I originally thought. It is not just about serving customers, making budgets and a good RevPar every month. Resource efficiency is an area that H...

Never in our minds we would have thought our beloved Hospitality industry would lie dormant for 3 months. But that is the reality of 2020, as the world re-opens slowly, and people start to travel, it is time to take a good luck at our current standards of procedure, and ensure we are running efficient businesses.

It has never been more important than now to ensure we reduce our business running costs, by having efficient systems in place. If you have never implemented an Environmental Management System at your business, chances are you are paying for more Energy, Waste and Water than you really need to.

• Who turns on your kitchen main over every day and at what time?
• What is your most disposed of item of landfill waste?
• What is the water flow rate of you bathroom taps?

If you know the answers to those 3 questions, you are already on a winning path! But if you are not sure on the answers, or need to “check” with someone else, this means you are not in control of your business ut...