Dubai's hotels will have to sign up to a carbon emission reduction programme within the next few months as the emirate aims for a 20 per cent reduction in the hospitality sector's carbon footprint by 2011. Hotels that failed to register for the scheme would be fined, the Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) said. The average Dubai hotel produces 6,500 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions a year, while the average European hotel produces 3,000 tonnes, according to a DTCM report. A typical five-star hotel in Dubai has a total energy bill of up to Dh7 million (US$1.9m) a year. Dubai hotels use an average of 850 litres of water for each guest a year, while European hotels use 350 litres for each guest. The first two phases of the scheme will involve data collection and monitoring each hotel's energy consumption, at a cost of $6,000 for a five-star hotel. The non-compulsory third phase involves a much more technical and detailed study of the premises, and would cost a five-star hotel $15,000. Hotels would then be charged an annual fee of between $1,200 and $3,600. "This is a major initiative designed to encourage and acknowledge the significant efforts of the emirate's tourism industry towards sustainable tourism," said Eyad Abdul Rahman, the DTCM executive director of media relations and business development. Mr Abdul Rahman said the initiative would benefit businesses through cost savings on energy bills. The DTCM also launched a hotel industry Green Tourism Award to encourage efforts towards reducing carbon emissions. "Our goal is to help companies measure, reduce and offset their environmental footprint and, as a result of doing so, try to draw the maximum commercial benefit out of following that strategy," said Shezan Amiji, the director and co-founder of EcoVentures, a UAE-based carbon emissions reductions company that has partnered the DTCM on the initiative. Mr Amiji said the hospitality sector had a responsibility to improve its environmental performance, given its importance to the economy. Dubai has more than 40,000 hotel rooms and, according to forecasts, is set to increase its supply of rooms by 13,000 this year. "On a per capita basis, the UAE has one of the highest carbon footprints in the world," Mr Amiji said. rbundhun@thenational.ae