Sustainability Management System that helps tourist accommodation save energy and water by adapting guest behaviour
Project implemented: May 2015
Save millions of kWhs, millions of litres of water and food waste to re-invest savings to conserve natural habitat
Tourist accommodation is energy intensive, guests use more water than locals, our nature is under threat
Our hardware monitors electricity, gas, firewood, water, hotel laundry and food waste
Web-based customised persuasive communication
Staff training to professionally engage guests
Guests get resource use eco-feedback
Money saved is recorded and donated to local causes
Guests promote via links to social media
Guest satisfaction has increased and staff loyalty has increased directly because of offering the My Green Butler service.
We have donated savings to assist the care of 14 orphaned baby wombats and to protect our tiny local Brush-tailed Rock-wallaby population of 40; helping protect our natural heritage.
For a small business we save $2,100 in our resource costs annually. We directly donate these funds to the two local charities plus additional donations from our guests.
We have published six academic papers and completed Christopher’s PhD to share the science of persuasion for sustainability goals. We are a UNEP One Planet partner and are conducting a pilot programme to spread the work and cut tourism’s 8% share of global carbon emissions.
People do not fully appreciate how to save energy and water, but do want to know how to live more sustainably. My Green Butler provides a customised comprehensive persuasive experience for tourist accommodation which helps hosts acquire new Climate Change Adaptation skills and guests new techniques to conserve resources using adaptive behaviours. This is a customised service and applies persuasive techniques which emphasise the features of the accommodation and enable guests to moderate their consumption. The system also provides hosts with risk management tools and personalised itineraries for guests. After a successful trial we are now conducting a pilot at ten accommodation providers in Australia and two in Europe.