Helping you become a more sustainable Host

Learn about sustainable hosting in the Host Advisory Board's April update.
By Airbnb on Apr 21, 2021
4 min read
Updated Apr 28, 2021

Highlights

  • Learn how Airbnb and the Host Advisory Board are helping Hosts become more sustainable

  • The Advisory Board’s Anna Jones also shares why she cares so much about the environment

  • Stay up to date on the Host Advisory Board’s progress in 2021

Each month we’re sharing the latest updates from the Host Advisory Board and helping you get to know the board members.

Hi everyone,

I’m Anna Jones, a member of the Host Advisory Board and the facilitator of the sustainability committee. We’ve been meeting with Airbnb leaders the past few months to explore how we can support Hosts in becoming more environmentally friendly.

In celebration of Earth Day on April 22, I’m so excited to share more details about what we’ve been up to!

Helping our community become more sustainable

Understandably, many Hosts don’t know how to start becoming more sustainable. There’s a lot of information out there and it can often feel overwhelming!

When I joined the Advisory Board, one of my goals was to make sustainability feel more approachable to Hosts. I really believe that by supporting and celebrating one another, we can create positive change!

Here’s how we’re working with Airbnb on this:

  • Introducing a sustainability education series: Airbnb worked closely with the United Nations Environment Programme, a global champion for the environment, World Wildlife Fund, the world’s leading conservation organization, and the Host Advisory Board’s sustainability committee to create educational content for Hosts. This includes new articles like a beginner’s guide to becoming a sustainable host and tips for promoting sustainable tourism with your guests. We’ll be expanding the series throughout the year, so stay tuned for more ways to be more environmentally friendly!
  • Sharing how other Hosts are making a difference: Sustainability practices can be very different based on where you live and what’s available to you. To show Hosts ways to be sustainable in different places and spaces, we will spotlight environmentally-friendly Hosts from around the world. First up is Superhost Tiffany, who has a beach lodge in Hollywood Beach, California.
  • Exploring renewable energy partnerships: To help make renewable energy more accessible to Hosts, Airbnb is exploring partnerships with green utility companies in select communities. Airbnb will be launching a pilot program in the U.S. soon, and if Hosts find it valuable, we’ll work to extend similar offers to the global Host community.

I am so happy to share that this is only the beginning! The sustainability committee is eager to explore new ways to help Hosts be more green—and save money too! We’ll be sharing more on this topic throughout the year.

Why I care so much about the environment

Living near the sea in Pembrokeshire, Wales, sparked a new passion and inspired me to create a more sustainable lifestyle. I’m delighted to be able to help other Hosts get started on this journey. Here’s a little more about me:

Back in 2017, my family and I were looking for a change in lifestyle, and we really wanted to set up a listing on Airbnb. Then this beautiful old farm came on the market, and we fell in love. All of the buildings date back to 1650, so there’s such charm and a sense of calm here.

It’s not just the incredible landscape and coastline here. The people are so inspirational—there is such a connection with the land and what they do. It’s contagious! Our local community is an integral part of the guest experience—from our locally-made soaps to the local art that fills the walls!

We have two listings. My mum and I do all the changeovers and styling. My dad does all the maintenance. Everything is all us and such a team effort. You feel so involved in the bones of it, and the passion for where we live is overflowing.

I put together our approach to sustainability, which is in our listing descriptions. It's also printed out in the cottages so people can read it and learn about what we do. We even grow our own sustainable trees to fuel our woodburners!

I was one of the founding members of the Airbnb UK Community Board, which started in 2019, and I lead sustainable hosting initiatives with a number of UK hosts and the Airbnb team.

It's been a magical journey to be in touch with nature. I’ve become in tune with the seasons and the rhythm of the sea, and that’s reflected in everything we do here.

Lots of people reconnect with themselves and with nature when they stay here—sometimes I feel like Cupid because guests fall in love with Pembrokeshire and keep coming back!

The Host Advisory Board will be back next month with more updates from our board meetings. In the meantime, I so hope you find the new sustainability series helpful!

Cheers! (Or as we say here in Wales, ‘Iechyd da!’)

Anna Jones

Information contained in this article may have changed since publication.

Highlights

  • Learn how Airbnb and the Host Advisory Board are helping Hosts become more sustainable

  • The Advisory Board’s Anna Jones also shares why she cares so much about the environment

  • Stay up to date on the Host Advisory Board’s progress in 2021
Airbnb
Apr 21, 2021
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