Hotel Energy Efficiency towards Sustainable Tourism

In the face of dwindling energy resources, it appears we are at a crossroads of development because energy propels the wheels of development and socioeconomic progress.There are growing concerns about the depletion of non-renewable energy stocks like fossil fuel (coal, oil and gas) which is the principal source of energy globally. In fact, fossil fuels account for about 79% of global final energy consumption. The American Petroleum Institute has estimated that with global oil consumption at 80 million barrels per day, the world’s oil stocks would be depleted between 2062 and 2094. The depletion of energy resources is therefore counterproductive and tantamount to killing the goose that lays the golden egg. Ironically, the burning of fossil fuels also contributes to global warming through the emission of greenhouse gases and these further compounds the environmental problems confronting the globe. The problem of energy depletion is therefore a double-edged sword that does not only lead to a decline in productivity but also exacerbates global warming. Thus the global energy challenge is potentially a challenge to sustainable development.