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Sustainability

The Dean, has a deep commitment to local staff, produce and sustainable luxury. We are both committed to building a sustainable future for the hospitality industry and Ireland.

Climate change and the impact of human activity is the single biggest threat facing our planet, and we recognise the urgent need for action and the importance of playing our part in this journey towards a more positive future.

Working with key industry partners, our sustainability policy outlines a three-year roadmap towards a more sustainable future with ambitious targets and goals to reduce our carbon footprint, preserve natural resources, support biodiversity, and contribute to a more sustainable future for Ireland and the planet. This policy focuses on three key pillars: Waste, Energy and Biodiversity.

Waste

The Dean’s waste management system is designed to handle waste across all aspects of the business and minimise its negative impact on the environment. The program involves a series of strategies aimed at reducing waste generation, promoting waste recycling and recovery, and proper disposal of waste materials.

The program commits to a 30% reduction in general waste in year one (2023), with an additional 10% reduction in year two and three. This ambitious program prioritises recycling, composting, and reducing single-use plastics. Recycling bins are available to guests and 4+ types of waste are recycled.

The Dean does not use any of the following single-use plastics in any of its venues: Plastic miniature shampoo, conditioner, body wash bottles, Plastic Straws, Plastic Water Bottles, Plastic Cups, Plastic Soda Bottles, Plastic Cutlery, Bowls or Plates, Plastic Stirrers.

For any food to go offerings we have adopted either 100% compostable or recycling packaging and offer incentives for using Keep Cups across our cafes. Water usage also forms a large part of this program, with initiatives to collect and recycle rain water for use as grey water, cut down on use in kitchens, and implement water-efficient devices in public areas. The Dean offers water refill stations in all of its properties.

Energy

Reducing carbon emissions is a crucial step towards mitigating the impact of climate change. To reduce the our carbon emissions, we are implementing strategies that will reduce, and in time  remove, our reliance on fossil fuels and promote the use of clean energy sources such as solar, wind, and hydroelectric power.

The first step of this policy is establishing accurate measurements of emissions across each Dean venue  to assign targets for reduction, which will be achieved in year one. We are committed to reducing our primary energy consumption by 10% in year one with an additional 10% reduction in year two and three.

The Dean implements a number of energy saving measures. Guest rooms have energy saving light switches, while at least 80% of lighting using energy efficient LED bulbs. All windows in our properties are double glazed while we also have a food waste policy in place that includes education, food waste prevention, reduction, recycling and disposal.

Biodiversity

We’ve all heard the word, but what does it actually mean and how is The Dean helping? Biodiversity provides a range of ecosystem services that are essential for human well-being, including clean air and water, nutrient cycling, soil formation, and pollination, as well as supporting cultural and recreational activities.

We know that protecting and restoring biodiversity is crucial for ensuring a sustainable future, which is why biodiversity forms a key pillar of the The Dean’s sustainability policy. We are committed to supporting biodiversity and the natural environment across our properties with initiatives such as our rooftop beehives with Open Hive in Galway, green roofs and wildflower gardens.

Local Community

The Dean is wholly committed to investment in local creative communities and supporting Irish artists. The Dean Arts Studio is a multi-disciplinary artistic hub in Dublin City centre that provides an accessible city workspace for both established and emerging practitioners across visual arts, literature, photography, sound, music, theatre and more. Each year over 20 studio and workspaces will be gifted to Irish artists, and to Irish cultural institutions and art organisations.

The Dean also invests a percentage of revenue back into community or local sustainability projects. This ongoing significant investment in Irish artists has led to the purchase of more than 450 local art pieces for The Dean Galway, 400 for The Dean Cork and over 225 for The Dean Dublin.

50 Shades Green Program

We are proud to partner with the 50 Shades Green Program, and our goal is to achieve silver certification by November 2023, and gold certification by November 2024. We are working closely with the 50 Shades Green team to guide us in our sustainable practises and continuously improve our environmental performance. We will also engage with our guests and the wider community to raise awareness of sustainable practices and encourage sustainable behaviours.

Action starts on the ground, which is why our team members are crucial to the success of this strategy. On site Green Teams have been established at The Dean, who have been provided with certified training and ongoing support to equip them with the skills and knowledge to drive sustainable practices across all areas of their venue’s operations. The Green Team are responsible for ongoing measurement and reporting on their venue’s performance and driving the green agenda amongst their teams.

To The Future

This three year Environmental Policy is the first step towards a more positive future. We know that we have a long journey ahead of us and lots to do, but The Dean are committed to embracing the challenge and driving change. We will continually review and improve this policy to ensure we remain on track towards a sustainable future.

Dean Hotel Group