We at De Bergenske are committed to safeguarding the environment and society.
We see sustainable development as a major challenge and prioritise meeting our needs without threatening future generations. We pride ourselves on ensuring sustainable operations at our hotels and want to continue to create value through new, sustainable business opportunities. You can read more about our corporate social responsibility and sustainability focus here, including our compliance with the requirements of the Norwegian Transparency Act.
"We see it as our social responsibility to contribute to the UN Sustainable Development Goals." - Kjetil Smørås, CEO of the De Bergenske Group.
Corporate social responsibility has always been important to us at De Bergenske. Since 2001, we have worked hard to be a leader in sustainability in the industry. We have implemented smart measures to reduce our environmental impact, including minimising waste, reducing energy consumption, and improving air quality for the people of Bergen.
Certifications and awards
All our companies are Eco-Lighthouse certified, and we have received awards for our work with energy, purchasing, food, and transport. We value the city's cultural history, as shown when Hotel Zander K was awarded the City Prize for Hordaland in 2017. The hotel has also been certified as BREEAM In-Use Excellent, as the first company in Western Norway. This demonstrates our commitment to reducing our environmental impact and increasing our competitiveness.
Energy efficiency
We at De Bergenske work continuously to reduce energy consumption. Oil heating has been phased out in favour of district heating. New buildings and refurbishment projects are insulated to prevent energy leaks. Gas in the kitchen has been replaced with induction ovens. We have the city's most modern grease separator to prevent the worst spills into the wastewater network. After implementing the plan to greatly reduce water consumption, we have also received EU certification.
Waste handling and recycling
We work systematically to sort residual waste, plastic, paper, deposits, glass bottles and food waste. The waste system in De Bergenske is adapted to the waste types generated through the operation of the business, in line with the waste regulations. Food waste from hotel breakfasts is weighed. We also use the mobile app Too Good To Go to prevent leftover food from being wasted.
Responsible purchasing practices
At De Bergenske, we see responsible purchasing practices as the key to sustainable business operations. We prefer environmentally certified suppliers and encourage them to become Eco-Lighthouse certified. The food we offer is mainly organic and locally sourced, minimising transport distances and supporting local businesses. Information on how our suppliers handle human rights and working conditions, as well as specific information about our goods and services, can be found in our due diligence statement.
A healthy work environment
De Bergenske protects employees' rights, a safe working environment, and safety in the workplace. We abide to working environment legislation closely, as stipulated in the Working Environment Act. De Bergenske uses Fellesforbundet's (The United Federation of Union's) current agreement pursuant to the national agreement for hotel and restaurant enterprises as the basis for our employment contracts. Both our main employee representative and the chief safety representative are employee representatives, and we have safety delegates in each subsidiary. Through our Working Environment Committee (AMU), we have regular meetings between employee representatives and management. We also have an occupational health service, which assists employers and employees in following up the working environment in the company.
With a love for the city of Bergen
De Bergenske supports the local community in several ways. We have favourable agreements with over 20 cultural institutions and contribute to events such as Nattjazz, Columbi Egg, and BIT. We also support charitable causes through cooperation with organisations such as the Church City Mission, and we have established De Bergenske family's support fund for refugees. We are the main sponsor of Bergen City Marathon and also support health-promoting activities at sporting organisations such as Bergen Tennisarena, NHHI Oktagon, and Sandviken IL.
A tribute to fourteen women from Bergen in the fight for gender equality
Behind every successful man is a surprised woman, as they say. And behind every successful woman are ten who are forgotten or ignored. When Bergen's Grand Old Lady, Grand Hotel Terminus, turned 90 in 2018, an extensive renovation was initiated. We were then faced with the delicate task of naming the premises and discovered that 90% of monuments and statues in Bergen honoured more or less great men. Our premises are therefore named after fourteen of the city's female pioneers, including Kim Friele, Amalie Skram and Ambrosia Tønnesen. Since then, Grand Hotel Terminus has published a book about the women, at the request of the Bergen Association for Women's Rights. The book is entitled Fourteen women from Bergen who have left their unique imprint in history. It is written by Elisabeth Aasen and can be found in our hotels. We are proud of our contribution to highlighting Bergen women's history.
Hotel bees on the roof
Since we want to strengthen the living conditions for endangered bees in Bergen city centre, we have established a home for 120,000 bees on the roof of Grand Hotel Terminus. The bees collect a unique and tasty nectar from the many lime trees in Strømgaten, Kong Oscars gate, and Kalfarveien. The bees also help with pollination on the mountainside, where they do an important job for nature. Our distinctive linden honey is available at the reception at Grand Hotel Terminus. The hotel bees add extra life to the place, and it is always nice to share the hotel with them!
Sustainable focus areas
We have listened to our stakeholders and identified three sustainability areas that we wish to focus on in the future.
Paving the way for sustainable tourism
We want to motivate visitors to make environmentally friendly choices, so that the industry develops in a more climate-friendly direction. Training and raising awareness of the Group's environmental measures will be crucial and will therefore be communicated through various channels. Our guests will find, among other things, information in the rooms that aims to promote environmental awareness, for example by skipping room cleaning or reusing towels. Visitors are encouraged to be considerate when helping themselves from our buffets to reduce food waste. In common areas, the bins are clearly marked for recycling. Customers and guests are asked to travel green, and we make bicycles available, both for guests and staff. In addition, almost all employees use climate-friendly transport options to travel to work.
Green business practices
Green business practices are at the core of De Bergenske's approach. We believe that profitability cannot be achieved without consideration for people and the environment. That's why we work to integrate sustainability into all aspects of our business. By ensuring a healthy economy, we can take advantage of green business opportunities. We focus on industry-specific measures, such as drilling new wells for district heating to reduce energy consumption at our hotels. This contributes to both environmental savings and financial sustainability.
Diversity – the vibrant life of our organisation
At De Bergenske, we are proud of the diversity we have among our employees. We have a total of 737 employees from 87 different nationalities. Protecting inclusion and diversity is therefore of great importance, especially in an industry characterised by a high turnover in the workforce. We cooperate with various players, where we offer internships to apprentices and students to strengthen knowledge sharing and competence development in the industry. De Bergenske also employs people with disabilities, or others who are struggling to enter the labour market. We believe that no matter what background you have, regardless of gender, who you love or what faith you have, you are welcome to join us at De Bergenske.
The transparency act
De Bergenske is subject to the Norwegian Transparency Act. The Transparency Act went into effect on July 1, 2022. The Act imposes a number of duties on large businesses relating to human rights and working conditions, which give both consumers and others the right to information about the company's handling of these matters. De Bergenske is therefore obliged to:
Conduct due diligence
Provide a public account of its due diligence assessments
Respond to enquiries and provide information to the public
De Bergenske has a long tradition of focusing on both human rights and decent working conditions. We work systematically to promote responsible working and environmental conditions, including at our suppliers. Prudence is anchored in the board, management and the organisation. The work relating to the Transparency Act has been administered as a separate board matter, for which progress is being closely monitored. We carry out our work in close cooperation and good dialogue with our suppliers, partners, and other stakeholders.
Do you have any questions about how De Bergenske handles and works to counteract negative consequences relating to fundamental human rights and decent working conditions?
Please feel free to contact us!