Our Commitment to Sustainability

At Mercure Canberra, caring for our guests goes hand in hand with caring for the planet. As one of Canberra’s heritage hotels, we feel a special responsibility to protect the environment, support our local community and ensure that future generations can enjoy this place as much as you do today.

Sustainability for us isn’t a single project, it’s a mindset that guides how we design our spaces, run our operations, and welcome you as our guest. The world is becoming more committed to sustainability each day and environmental practices should happen just as much when you travel as when you are at home.

OUR SUSTAINABILITY PILLARS

Here at Mercure Canberra, we have the following commitments and practices in place:

Energy and climate

  • Energy saving lighting: We are progressively replacing traditional lighting with LED and energy‑efficient alternatives throughout guest rooms, corridors, and public areas.
  • Electric Vehicle Charging available on site: We have two charging stations available onsite.
  • Smart operations: We monitor and optimise heating, cooling, and ventilation to reduce energy use while maintaining guest comfort.
  • Climate awareness: We support initiatives that raise awareness of climate action, including campaigns such as Earth Hour and internal Challenge 60 activities that encourage movement and mindful energy use.
  • Removal of single use plastics: Including toiletries, water bottles, plastic straws

Water conservation

  • Linen and towel reuse: Guests are invited to reuse towels and linen, helping us significantly reduce water and energy consumption in laundry operations.
  • Efficient fixtures: Water‑saving taps, showers, and toilets are being progressively installed to minimise water use without compromising comfort.
  • Water Bore: Our water bore was installed in 2008 and goes down 70 metres. It provides water to our laundry, and irrigation to our extensive gardens. Our bore licence permits us to use 7 Megalitres of water per year.

Waste reduction and recycling

  • Recycling in action: We separate and recycle materials such as paper, cardboard, glass, and certain plastics, working with local partners where available.
  • Reducing single‑use items: We are actively reviewing and reducing single‑use plastics, including amenities and packaging, and seeking reusable or recyclable alternatives.
  • Food Waste Reduction program: We are actively measure and work towards reducing food waste in our Food & Beverage operations, in turn reducing our environmental footprint.

Responsible sourcing and local partnerships

  • Local suppliers: We prioritise local and regional suppliers for food, beverages, and services where we can, reducing transport impacts and supporting the local economy.
  • Seasonal menus: Our food and beverage offerings increasingly highlight seasonal produce, helping to reduce waste and support more sustainable agriculture.
  • Ethical choices: We aim to work with partners who share our values on environmental responsibility, fair labour, and community impact.

Engaging our guests and team

Sustainability is a shared journey. We encourage both our team and our guests to be part of the change.

  • Team training: Our staff receive ongoing guidance on sustainable practices, from energy and water saving to waste sorting and responsible purchasing.
  • Guest participation: Simple choices, like reusing towels, switching off lights and air‑conditioning when leaving the room, and using recycling bins make a real difference.
    We have also made the choice to participate in Accor’s Skip The Clean program, which rewards guests for choosing to skip their daily clean for the environment.
  • Wellbeing and awareness: Initiatives such as our Challenge 60 and participation in Earth Hour help build a culture of wellbeing, mindfulness, and environmental awareness.

MERCURE CANBERRA NABERS RATING

In addition to our commitment to sustainability, we are proud to be rated by NABERS for our eco-friendly practices. A NABERS hotel rating combines 12 months of operational data of your hotel’s guest rooms, on-site amenities and back-of-house facilities.

NABERS for hotels is a tool designed to give hotels a one to six star rating for energy and water efficiency. It rates hotel space, including all facilities provided for hotel staff and guests. Mercure Canberra has achieved a 3.5 star NABERS Rating for Water and a 3.5 star NABERS Rating for Energy.

Find out more about our NABERS Rating

 

OUR ONGOING JOURNEY

Sustainability is not a destination; it’s an ongoing commitment. We regularly review our practices, set new goals, and look for better ways to reduce our environmental footprint and increase our positive impact.

If you have suggestions or would like to know more about our sustainability initiatives during your stay, please speak with our team as we are always happy to share what we’re doing and to learn from your ideas.

Thank you for supporting Mercure Canberra’s commitment to a more sustainable future.

Accor’s Commitment to Sustainability

Accor has developed key roles and responsibilities to achieve our sustainability goals for all of its hotels.

#1 Single Use Plastic Global Challenge to Act for #NoMoreSingleUsePlastic

With the objective to eliminate all guest-related single-use plastic items in the guest experience. Our hotel is also following this practice, by removing all plastic room cards to bamboo made key cards. No use of plastic bottles for in room service and conference and functions. Removal of plastic straws and replace with paper straws. Toiletries also changed to bulk use instead of single use toiletries.

#2 Accor’s ley goals and commitments:

  • Net Zero carbon emissions by 2050
  • Absolute reduction of our greenhouse gas emissions
  • Restoring at least 30% of the world’s land, coastal areas and oceans
  • Continually roll out new measures to inspire the entire industry
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