The Hidden Carbon Cost of AI in Travel

Inside Hilton’s Climate Strategy: How to Decarbonize Hotels You Don’t Own

How can a global hotel brand cut emissions when it doesn’t actually own most of its properties? In this episode of GreenShift, host Darren Graham sits down with Jean Garris Hand, Global Head of Sustainability at Hilton, to explore how one of the world’s largest hospitality companies is tackling decarbonization across 9,000 hotels in 139 countries. Hand explains how Hilton’s “asset-light” model—where 90% of hotels are franchised—can actually be an advantage. From negotiating renewable energy contracts for hundreds of properties at once to creating shared sustainability platforms and incentive programs, Hilton is leveraging its scale to drive change. The conversation also covers the rise of cost-competitive renewables, the role of waste diversion and circular design, and how data reporting tools like LightStay are keeping every hotel accountable to global climate goals. Hilton’s model shows that climate action in hospitality isn’t about ownership—it’s about influence, innovation, and scale. --- You can follow all of Skift's climate coverage on our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Climate Hub⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://skift.com/climate-hub/]. Note: Skift’s in-depth reporting on climate issues is made possible through the financial support of Intrepid Travel. This backing allows Skift to bring you high-quality journalism on one of the most important topics facing our planet today. Intrepid is not involved in any decisions made by Skift’s editorial team. Connect with Skift LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/skift/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ WhatsApp: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://whatsapp.com/channel/⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://facebook.com/skiftnews⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/skiftnews/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Threads: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.threads.net/@skiftnews⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Bluesky: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bsky.app/profile/skiftnews.bsky.social⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ X: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/skift⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Subscribe to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@SkiftNews⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and never miss an update from the travel industry.

Can Soil Carbon Credits Really Help Save the Planet?

What if the key to fighting climate change was right under our feet? In this episode of GreenShift, host Darin Graham visits a fourth-generation farmer in the English Fens who’s turning healthy soil into a climate solution. Working with Danish startup Agreena, Thomas Gent has adopted regenerative agriculture practices that store carbon underground — and turn those efforts into tradable soil carbon credits. We explore how these credits are verified, why big brands like Radisson Hotels and Ryanair are buying them, and what makes soil carbon both promising and controversial. Are these credits truly removing carbon, or just shifting it around on paper? Gent explains how regenerative farming builds resilience, cuts emissions, and could make agriculture part of the climate solution — if done right. --- You can follow all of Skift's climate coverage on our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Climate Hub⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://skift.com/climate-hub/]. Note: Skift’s in-depth reporting on climate issues is made possible through the financial support of Intrepid Travel. This backing allows Skift to bring you high-quality journalism on one of the most important topics facing our planet today. Intrepid is not involved in any decisions made by Skift’s editorial team. Connect with Skift LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/skift/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ WhatsApp: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://whatsapp.com/channel/⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://facebook.com/skiftnews⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/skiftnews/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Threads: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.threads.net/@skiftnews⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Bluesky: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bsky.app/profile/skiftnews.bsky.social⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ X: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/skift⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Subscribe to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@SkiftNews⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and never miss an update from the travel industry.

The Hidden Carbon Cost of AI in Travel

Artificial intelligence is transforming travel — from flight optimization to customer personalization — but what about its climate footprint? In this episode of GreenShift, host Darin Graham speaks with Emma Cox, Chief Commercial Officer at Climeco, about the growing carbon cost of AI and what it means for travel companies racing to adopt it. Cox explains how training and running AI models consume massive amounts of energy, why data centers are becoming a new emissions frontier, and how businesses can start accounting for AI in their sustainability reports. Together, they unpack the balance between efficiency gains and rising energy demand, the role of credible carbon offsets, and how travelers can be empowered to make more informed choices. AI could help the industry cut emissions — or quietly make them worse. The question is: will travel companies start counting the carbon before it’s too late? --- You can follow all of Skift's climate coverage on our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Climate Hub⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://skift.com/climate-hub/]. Note: Skift’s in-depth reporting on climate issues is made possible through the financial support of Intrepid Travel. This backing allows Skift to bring you high-quality journalism on one of the most important topics facing our planet today. Intrepid is not involved in any decisions made by Skift’s editorial team. Connect with Skift LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/skift/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ WhatsApp: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://whatsapp.com/channel/⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://facebook.com/skiftnews⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/skiftnews/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Threads: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.threads.net/@skiftnews⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Bluesky: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bsky.app/profile/skiftnews.bsky.social⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ X: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/skift⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Subscribe to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@SkiftNews⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and never miss an update from the travel industry.

G Adventures Founder on Why the Travel Industry Isn’t Ready for 2030

In 2021, hundreds of travel companies signed the Glasgow Declaration, pledging to halve tourism emissions by 2030 and reach net zero by 2050. But just five years later, reality looks far from those ambitions. In this episode of GreenShift, host Darin Graham sits down with Bruce Poon Tip, Founder and CEO of G Adventures, for a frank conversation about why the industry is falling short on climate goals. Poon Tip reflects on the limits of carbon offsets, the political and economic headwinds that have slowed climate progress, and the tough decisions G Adventures has made—like retiring one of its most popular expedition ships—to meet internal emissions targets. He also shares why sustainability can’t remain a luxury item and how travelers themselves hold the power to drive systemic change. This is a candid look at what it really takes to decarbonize tourism — and why honesty might be the industry’s most important climate strategy. --- You can follow all of Skift's climate coverage on our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Climate Hub⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://skift.com/climate-hub/]. Note: Skift’s in-depth reporting on climate issues is made possible through the financial support of Intrepid Travel. This backing allows Skift to bring you high-quality journalism on one of the most important topics facing our planet today. Intrepid is not involved in any decisions made by Skift’s editorial team. Connect with Skift LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/skift/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ WhatsApp: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://whatsapp.com/channel/⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://facebook.com/skiftnews⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/skiftnews/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Threads: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.threads.net/@skiftnews⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Bluesky: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bsky.app/profile/skiftnews.bsky.social⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ X: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/skift⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Subscribe to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@SkiftNews⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and never miss an update from the travel industry.

Balancing Paradise: The Bahamas’ Plan for Sustainable Tourism

Tourism is the lifeblood of The Bahamas — but with 11 million annual visitors and a population of just 400,000, growth comes with high stakes for the environment. In this episode of GreenShift, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism Chester Cooper joins host Darin Graham to discuss how the Bahamas is managing record tourism while protecting its coral reefs, mangroves, and pristine beaches. From regulating resort development and promoting renewable energy to enforcing environmental codes and encouraging community-led tourism, Cooper outlines how the island nation plans to stay both prosperous and sustainable. But with most travelers still arriving by cruise or air — two of tourism’s most carbon-intensive sectors — can The Bahamas remain a model for climate-conscious development? --- You can follow all of Skift's climate coverage on our ⁠⁠⁠⁠Climate Hub⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://skift.com/climate-hub/]. Note: Skift’s in-depth reporting on climate issues is made possible through the financial support of Intrepid Travel. This backing allows Skift to bring you high-quality journalism on one of the most important topics facing our planet today. Intrepid is not involved in any decisions made by Skift’s editorial team. Connect with Skift LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/skift/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ WhatsApp: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://whatsapp.com/channel/⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://facebook.com/skiftnews⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/skiftnews/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Threads: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.threads.net/@skiftnews⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Bluesky: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bsky.app/profile/skiftnews.bsky.social⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ X: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/skift⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Subscribe to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@SkiftNews⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and never miss an update from the travel industry.