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Our approach to sustainability

HomeToGo is committed to continuously driving change that positively impacts the lives of our travelers, partners, and employees, as well as the wellbeing of our planet.

HomeToGo’s vision is to make incredible homes easily accessible to everyone - all while being at the forefront of sustainable travel for the vacation rental industry. Learn more about our current sustainability efforts and tips to help you reduce your own footprint when traveling.

HomeToGo’s ESG Rating

HomeToGo has been awarded an industry-leading “Low Risk” ESG Rating of 16 points by Morningstar Sustainalytics, making us a sustainability leader in the vacation rental market.

HomeToGo is ranked in the top 10 percent of the Software & Services industry, surpassing many other travel companies and affirming our leading commitment to sustainable business practices. Our Risk Rating places us well ahead of other online travel companies in terms of ESG practices, with a lower risk in comparison to Expedia Group, Inc. (27.6), Trip.com Group Ltd (23.5), Airbnb (22.8), and Booking Holdings, Inc. (19.2).*

As a multi-faceted marketplace, HomeToGo is dedicated to building a platform that can enable and empower both our travelers and partners to make better choices for the environment. The comprehensive evaluation of the three core pillars of the ESG rating acknowledges our commitment to environmentally responsible operations, social impact, and sound governance principles. 

Key highlights of HomeToGo's ESG practices contributing to this Low Risk Rating include:

  • Environmental Responsibility: Environmental Policy, Scope of Greenhouse Gas Reporting, Greenhouse Gas Reduction Programs, Renewable Energy Use, and more
  • Social Impact: Human Capital Development, Anti-Discrimination Policy, Social Supplier Standards, Data Privacy & Security Policy, and more
  • Governance Excellence: Whistleblower Program, Anti-Bribery & Corruption Programs, UN Global Compact Membership, ESG Governance at Board Level, and more

While we are very proud of this achievement, we recognize that this is only the beginning of our ESG journey. Looking ahead, we are motivated to raise the bar even higher, focusing on making continuous strides on all three ESG pillars. 

Learn more about our ESG rating here.

United Nations Global Compact Signatory

In October 2023, HomeToGo officially joined the United Nations Global Compact to further underline our commitment to sustainable corporate practices. The UNGC is the world's largest voluntary corporate sustainability initiative, uniting businesses, governments and civil society to take action towards the universally accepted Ten Principles in the areas of human rights, labor, environment and anti-corruption.

HomeToGo proudly joins the ranks of more than 15,000 participating companies and over 3,800 non-commercial entities based in over 160 countries worldwide that actively commit to taking responsibility in creating a more sustainable and inclusive global economy. By becoming a signatory, we confirm our commitment to advancing a more sustainable and stable environment by strategically anchoring the UNGC values across our value chain and continuing to implement and enhance sustainability initiatives in our strategic planning. 

At HomeToGo we care about our team, our providers, our guests, and our planet. We are committed to being a pioneer in sustainable travel and building a platform that enables and empowers guests and providers to make greener choices. 

Travel companies can contribute significantly to improving the sustainability of the entire travel and tourism ecosystem. The travel and tourism industry accounts for 8-11% of the world’s total carbon footprint (source: McKinsey, 2022), and accommodations account for 264 million MT CO2-equivalent emissions (source: World Travel & Tourism Council, 2021), reflecting ~10% of the total annual emissions of the tourism industry. 

Accommodations account for ~1% of the world’s total carbon footprint. There’s an opportunity to drive sustainable action for the industry.

We focus on critical and tangible steps to reduce our own impact on the planet, helping to help protect the communities and destinations that fuel tourism and ultimately preserving the environment and the travel industry long term. We have taken consistent climate action for the past 3 years across our operations:

  • While HomeToGo is committed to becoming net-zero in the long run, we have been neutralizing the residual emissions of our operations through removal projects in order to permanently remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere since 2019.
  • Since 2019, we’ve been actively supporting renaturalization and ocean protection projects, compensating for +1.5M kg CO2 and counting!
  • We are a Leaders for Climate Action member, joining 3,000+ other companies dedicated to fighting the climate crisis
  • Learn more about our ESG data here

We understand that sustainability isn’t just about offsetting or the high-impact decisions—it’s about the small steps we take everyday that add up over time to protect our planet. That’s why HomeToGo takes daily action for the climate across our operations.

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We follow a trains > planes policy for all business travel 

Passengers who travel by train in 2018 produced around 79% less GHG emissions on average compared to passenger flights (source: EEA’s Transport and Environment Report, 2021).

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We offer free veggies & vegan snacks in our office

Eating a veggie diet means 2.5 times less carbon emissions than a meat diet, and by eating vegetarian food for a year you could save the same amount of emissions as a family taking a small car off the road for 6 months (source: Vegetarian Society).

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The majority of our facilities (60%) currently operate on 100% green electricity

We are committed to upholding this standard and are actively working towards the objective of achieving 100% reliance on renewable energy sources for all our sites in the foreseeable future.

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We host quarterly climate action events

Including a free vegan dinner and swap meets with our team to support a circular economy. One person’s unused item can be another person’s treasure!

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Our team is passionate about protecting the environment

And we continuously share and implement initiatives to step up our sustainability, both personally and professionally. We swap tips and tricks on sustainable practices, host climate protection related webinars and trainings, and actively support our team’s participation in climate strikes.

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We recycle our devices and empower

By donating gently used laptops to Labdoo, a global network of volunteers that enables children to participate in the digital world through the donation of technological devices. Labdoo serves schools and projects in 143 countries and we're a trusted partner in their journey.

What's next?

We’re just getting started! Looking ahead, we remain dedicated to fostering a culture of sustainability for our team and our two types of customer—our providers and our guests.

  • For our team. We'll continue to foster a culture that is focused on the preservation of our planet and proactive climate action.
  • For our providers. We'll further motivate our partners to incorporate sustainable amenities and practices by rewarding and highlighting green offers.
  • For our guests. We'll continue building a product that makes it easier for guests to identify, understand and choose sustainable travel options.

How can you travel more sustainably?

Start by choosing a more sustainable destination. 

As a general rule, the most sustainable places to travel are likely closer to home than you think. Consider visiting your nearest city, beach town or nature escape for a staycation getaway. Traveling closer to home means less emissions from flying—and there’s often so much to explore in our own backyards. 

Looking to get a little further from home? From locales that are leaders in green energy to impressive conversion efforts, here are five HomeToGo recommended hot spots for eco-friendly holidays:

  • Sweden. Renowned for its use of renewable energy sources, Sweden plans to be completely carbon neutral by 2045. It’s also the ideal place to catch the elusive Northern Lights. 
  • Costa Rica. A leader in sustainability and conservation, Costa Rica was the 2019 recipient of the prestigious Champions of the Earth award. Visit to check out one of Costa Rica’s remarkable national parks and protected wildlife. 
  • Jordan. This stunning Middle Eastern country created a Meaningful Travel Map to help conscious travelers discover unique and sustainable experiences—such as a garden bike ride with Jordan’s Al Numeira Environmental Association. 
  • Uruguay. More than 95% of Uruguay’s energy comes from renewable sources. Plus, the country’s waters have been a protected area for whales and dolphins since 2013, making it an ideal destination to spot marine wildlife. 
  • Bhutan. One of the few carbon-negative countries in the world, Bhutan takes sustainable tourism to the next level. The country allows a limited number of annual visitors to prevent overtourism and promote authentic, responsible travel.

HomeToGo’s 6 simple tips for sustainable travel

It’s not just about the destination. Whether you’re planning a beach getaway or a city escape, here are several simple steps you can take to reduce your travel footprint:

Get off the beaten path

Reduce the overtoursim burden on popular destinations and help spread the benefits of tourism to underrated locales.

Evaluate your transport

Calculate the most responsible way to get to your destination. The Environmental Defense Fund offers a tool to help you map the best routes and transport options to minimize your carbon footprint.

Pack consciously

Avoid common single use items by packing reusable options like water bottles, coffee mugs and straws. Use refillable silicone bottles for shampoos and soaps. Headed to the beach? Don’t forget your reef-safe sunscreen!

Try the local cuisine

Order what you see the locals eating. These meals are often based in tradition (meaning they contain local and fresh ingredients that aren’t shipped in from afar).

Shop sensibly

Buy local, quality products that are steeped in heritage; they make the best souvenirs to love for years to come. Don’t forget to shop with a reusable tote!

Slow down and stay

What’s the rush? Focusing your trip on one or two destinations means less plane, train or car emissions. Plus, it’s simply the more relaxing way to travel.

Our partners 

HomeToGo is always open to partnerships that further our sustainability strategy. We are honored to work with some of the most respected and innovative partners in the industry including:

HomeToGo Climate Neutral Certification

HomeToGo partners with SQUAKE, the end-to-end ClimateTech solution for sustainable travel, to help our guests make more environmentally responsible travel decisions. Learn more.

We partner with Plan A to take our environmental commitment to the next level by focusing on decarbonization, reduction targets and ESG reporting as a public company.

Time for Climate Action HomeToGo

HomeToGo is a proud member of this community of 3,000+ entrepreneurs, brands, and companies dedicated to fighting climate change. For 3 years running, HomeToGo has supported their “Time for Climate Action” (TFCA) campaign, partnering with 400+ other companies to reach 100 million people to help them learn how they can impact climate change.

Morningstar Sustainalytics is an independent and reputable firm specializing in ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) data, research, and ratings, has conducted HomeToGo's first ESG Risk Rating, using a comprehensive set of submitted materials. This initiative is part of Sustainalytics' commitment to providing objective evaluations in the realm of sustainability.

Footnotes:

*Rating conducted November 2023. Sustainalytics' ESG Risk Rating combines an assessment of exposure to industry-specific material ESG issues and how well companies manage these risks. Companies are divided into five different risk categories, ranging from negligible (0 - 10), low (10 - 20), medium (20 - 30) and high (30 - 40) to severe (40+). In no event this solicited ESG Rating shall be construed as investment advice or expert opinion as defined by the applicable legislation.

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