Shruti Shibulal

Director of Anticipatory and Executive Vice Chair of the Board of Directors at Tamara Leisure Experiences.

Preparedness to face stricter environmental regulations remains uneven across the hospitality industry. Different enterprises have adopted and implemented diverse initiatives based on a variety of dynamic factors including workforce management, resource conservation, operational scale and service offerings.

In the case of businesses that have integrated infrastructural shifts resulting in energy efficiency, water management, waste reduction, sustainable construction and responsible procurement, for example, stricter regulations may require more meticulous measurement of impact and progress. Since these practices are already embedded into their operating models, a focus on careful data collection and protocols around data-driven improvements could potentially refine and amplify their sustainable models.

However, businesses that have implemented compliance-driven measures to meet current operational requirements rather than espousing strategic shifts will find harsher regulations difficult to abide by. This is particularly true for sustainability practices that focus on solving a single problem rather than a circular solution. For example, food waste reduction through portion measurements reduces food waste per plate. However, it should also inform how much produce is purchased, how the menu is designed and how food waste is disposed to reduce ecological footprints across a broader logistical spectrum. Single-solution initiatives such as these cannot account for long-term environmental well-being. So, comprehensive regulations – demanding benchmarking or proof of continued impact – would pose a critical challenge.

The more pressing questions the industry must face is whether we continue to view sustainability as an obligation or as a business capability. The organisations that will adapt most successfully are likely to be those that have treated sustainability not as a reporting exercise, but as a core component of risk management, operational efficiency and long-term value creation.

In that sense, stricter regulations would not fundamentally change the direction of the industry. They would simply accelerate a transition that is already underway.