A hotel's Bilan Carbone®: which sources contribute most and how to reduce them in 2026

Bilan Carbone® measures a hotel's greenhouse gas emissions over a year, in tonnes of CO₂ equivalent. It covers three scopes: direct emissions (scope 1: gas boiler, fleet), purchased energy (scope 2: electricity, district heating), and upstream/downstream indirect emissions (scope 3: purchases, catering, guest travel and waste). Scope 3 accounts for 60 to 80% of the total. This is where most opportunities lie.

1Why a hotel must measure its emissions in 2026

Regulation. The Tertiary Decree requires a -40% change in energy consumption by 2030 for any building larger than 1,000 m². BEGES is mandatory above 500 employees. Since the Omnibus I Directive, the CSRD only covers groups with more than 1,000 employees and €450 million in turnover. Without a carbon assessment, these requirements remain a blind spot.

Platforms and labels. In 2024, Booking.com replaced its Travel Sustainable badge with the display of third-party certifications, and labels such as Clé Verte (the French name for Green Key) or Green Globe assess establishments' environmental management. A hotel unable to document its footprint loses visibility on the most widely used distribution channels.

Corporate clients. Business tourism requires quantified data to feed its own scope 3 reporting. Buyers assess their hotel providers on their ability to supply a footprint per overnight stay with a traceable methodology.

Financial management. Carbon sources and cost sources overlap: energy, water, waste, food purchases and mobility. Reducing the footprint almost always means reducing operating costs.

2Where a hotel's emissions come from

Typical breakdown for an urban 3-star hotel with a restaurant (proportions vary considerably between establishments, depending on quality level, climate and catering provision): building energy: 30 to 45% (heating, air conditioning, hot water, lighting and in-house laundry). Catering: 15 to 30% (food purchases and kitchen waste). Non-food purchases: 10 to 20% (linen, furniture, guest amenities and consumables). Guest travel: 10 to 25% (downstream scope 3, with little direct control). Outsourced laundry: 3 to 8%. Waste and water: 2 to 5%.

The footprint per overnight stay ranges between 10 and 30 kgCO₂e. The difference between a low-energy hotel without a restaurant and a gastronomic 4-star hotel reaches a factor of 3. The variables: quality level, climate zone, building age, energy mix and occupancy rate.

3How a hotel Bilan Carbone® works

Five steps, two months. 1 - Scoping (1 day): scope, sites, reference year and scoping note. 2 - Collection (2 to 4 weeks): management, accounting, technical department and HR. This is the bottleneck: the assessment's quality depends on the data quality. 3 - Calculation (1 to 2 weeks): applying ADEME emission factors to the collected data. 4 - Analysis (3 to 5 days): priority sources, sector benchmark and assessment report. 5 - Reduction plan (2 to 3 weeks): prioritising measures with the executive committee and setting a quantified pathway.

4The 5 common mistakes in a first hotel assessment

Omitting scope 3. It accounts for 60 to 80% of the total. Limiting the assessment to scopes 1 and 2 means ignoring most of the footprint and missing the actual opportunities. Underestimating purchases. Amenities, linen, furniture and disposable consumables: these sources are scattered across dozens of accounting lines and contribute more than expected. Confusing intensity and volume. The kgCO₂e per overnight stay ratio can fall while total emissions rise (increased activity). Both indicators must be monitored together.

No reduction plan. An assessment without a quantified pathway and named people responsible is another document in a drawer. Making irrelevant comparisons. An urban 3-star hotel, a seaside resort and a mountain hotel have very different emissions structures. Comparisons are only valid with identical scope and quality level.

5Reduction measures and expected impact

Managing consumption (immediate impact, low cost). Sub-metering by source, temperature control, time scheduling and team training. Results visible within a few weeks. This is the first measure to implement because it requires no investment. Catering (high impact, 6 to 18 months). Seasonal products, increasing the plant-based share and tackling food waste. In a hotel with a restaurant, this measure can represent a -15 to -25% reduction in the total footprint.

Responsible purchasing (medium impact, cost-neutral within 12 months). Durable linen with longer replacement cycles, refillable amenities, repairable furniture and refurbishment channels. Energy renovation (high impact, substantial investment, 3 to 10 years). Insulation, heat pump and building management system. This is the underlying measure that determines the ability to meet the Tertiary Decree targets (-40% by 2030). Active and sustainable travel (variable impact). Station shuttle, bicycle stations and public transport partnerships. It matters particularly for establishments far from transport links.

6Our advice: where to start

Step 1 - Check your eligibility for Diag Décarbon'Action. The programme funds 40% of the first Bilan Carbone®. Conditions: fewer than 500 employees, including micro-enterprises, at least 1 year in business and no GHG inventory in the last 5 years. Remaining cost: €6,000 excl. VAT on a €10,000 excl. VAT package. Checking takes 5 minutes on the Bpifrance website. If your establishment exceeds the thresholds, a conventional supported assessment costs around €10,000 to €30,000 excl. VAT depending on complexity.

Step 2 - Contact a consultant who knows the hotel industry. The sector's specific features (seasonality, variable occupancy, laundry, catering and scope 3 guest travel) require a provider who has already supported establishments. A good consultant tells you within 30 minutes whether it is the right time and where to start. Celsius supports hotel groups and independent hotels: contact us for an initial conversation.

Step 3 - Gather your basic data. Four documents are enough to start: 12 months of energy invoices (electricity, gas and district heating), laundry provider invoices (or internal readings if you run your own laundry), main food purchase categories (volumes or amounts by supplier), employee numbers and floor areas. 80% of this data is already in your PMS or accounts. This determines the project's pace, rather than the method.

Further resources

Frequently asked questions

1How much CO₂ does an overnight hotel stay emit?

Between 10 and 30 kgCO₂e depending on quality level, catering and the building's energy performance. The difference between a budget hotel without a restaurant and a gastronomic 4-star hotel can reach a factor of 3.

2How much does a Bilan Carbone® cost for a hotel?

Around €10,000 to €30,000 excl. VAT through a consultancy depending on size and complexity (scopes 1, 2 and 3 with an action plan), from €3,000 excl. VAT for a small establishment with a simple scope. Through Diag Décarbon'Action, the remaining cost is €6,000 excl. VAT for companies with fewer than 500 employees, including micro-enterprises.

3How long does a hotel Bilan Carbone® take?

2 months on average, including 3 to 5 days of internal work spread over the period. The timeframe depends on team responsiveness and the quality of the available accounting data.

4What are a hotel's main emission sources?

Building energy (30-45%), catering (15-30%), non-food purchases (10-20%) and guest travel (10-25%). These four sources account for around 80% of the total footprint.

5Does a Clé Verte label replace a Bilan Carbone®?

No. Labels assess environmental practices but do not measure the establishment's actual carbon footprint. A label and a Bilan Carbone® are complementary, not interchangeable.

6Which regulatory requirements apply to hotels in 2026?

The Tertiary Decree requires a -40% change in energy consumption by 2030 for buildings larger than 1,000 m². Since the Omnibus I Directive, the CSRD only covers groups with more than 1,000 employees and €450 million in turnover. BEGES remains mandatory for companies with more than 500 employees. Public procurement incorporates an environmental criterion from August 2026.

7Which measures should be prioritised to reduce a hotel's carbon footprint?

The first measure is managing energy consumption (sub-metering, temperature control, time scheduling and team training): immediate effect, with no investment. Catering follows, with seasonal products, more plant-based food and tackling waste, reducing the total footprint by 15 to 25% for a hotel with a restaurant. Responsible purchasing (durable linen, refillable guest amenities and repairable furniture) is cost-neutral within 12 months. Energy renovation requires substantial investment but determines whether the -40% target under the Tertiary Decree can be met in 2030. Active and sustainable travel completes the approach.

8Must guest travel be included in a hotel's Bilan Carbone®?

Yes, in a complete Bilan Carbone®: guest travel falls under downstream scope 3 and typically accounts for 10 to 25% of a hotel’s emissions. The establishment has little direct control over this source, but it must not be excluded from the scope, since scope 3 accounts for 60 to 80% of the total. Opportunities exist particularly for sites far from transport links: a shuttle from the station, bicycle stations, public transport partnerships and guest information on ways to get there. Always specify the scope used when communicating a footprint per overnight stay.

Ask Clément your questionA personal reply within 24 working hours

Send my questionor: [email protected]