How Synergy and Corporate Housing Embody Sustainable Living

It’s Earth month, and April 22 is Earth Day — although we like to think every day and every month is for this blue planet of ours. Sustainability is what will keep it livable for all of us, and companies must do their part. The actions of individuals are of course important, but as a global business, our impact is bigger — and so is our responsibility to the environment. 

As a global provider of corporate housing, Synergy is dedicated to reducing our carbon footprint, minimizing waste, conserving energy and water, and promoting sustainable living practices. Here’s how our industry allows individuals to work and travel in an eco-friendly way, as well as Synergy’s sustainability initiatives and achievements as we work toward our goal of becoming a carbon-neutral organization by 2030.

Corporate housing: the sustainable choice for business and extended-stay travel

By choosing corporate housing over hotels for business travel or extended stays, you’ve already made a sustainable (and overall smart!) choice. By their very nature, extended-stay accommodations are a form of sustainable temporary housing. They’re less wasteful than hotels, and other accommodations meant for shorter stays and higher turnover. For instance: UK hotels are estimated to produce 289,700 metric tons of waste each year. 

Corporate housing uses less frequent housekeeping and replenishing of provisions, which means less trash, less paper and plastic, less water and electricity used for laundry, less cleaning supplies and less food waste. Extended-stay apartments are made for living, and travelers tend to treat them more like their home — rather than fleeting, short-term quarters they’ll be leaving behind in a few days. 

Synergy Global Housing’s sustainability initiatives and achievements

Our philosophy on sustainability recognizes that it starts with a mindset, which is then carried forward with action and reinforced through transparency, accountability and responsibility. Here are some examples of Synergy’s commitment to sustainable living.

Sustainability Champions team

This team of associates from across the business is passionate and eager to make a difference. They’ve developed a 54-point sustainability action plan, an ever-evolving route to a carbon-neutral future, helping as many individuals and organizations along the way as possible.

Reducing waste and emissions in our operations

We’re doing all we can to minimize waste and emissions as we provide corporate housing all over the world. In an effort to reduce food waste, we reimagined how we approach welcome grocery items we place in our apartments. We’re moving toward providing prepaid gift cards and food delivery options, so guests can select foods they enjoy and plan to consume. This initiative eliminated 30% of food waste once generated from unused welcome packs, in addition to reducing our carbon footprint related to transport, storage and delivery.

To address plastic pollution, we’re removing single-use plastics from our managed apartments, saving over 120,000 plastic bottles from ending up in landfill sites or the ocean annually. We replaced plastic water bottles in our welcome packs with boxed water and glass carafes, and replaced toiletries with biodegradable and microplastic-free alternatives. In February 2022, Synergy also expanded its EMEA presence with our first entirely plastic-free property in London.

Additionally, Synergy has upgraded 85% of its vehicles to hybrid or fully electric cars, reducing our emissions as we do business.

GreenFeet partnership

Greenfeet Logo

We’ve partnered with sustainability software specialist GreenFeet to track and report on Synergy’s progress toward our 2030 carbon-neutral goal. Synergy published its first emissions report in October 2022, in which GreenFeet analyzed data gathered by the Sustainability Champions team regarding Synergy’s carbon footprint. This analysis will be used as a baseline and a benchmark in tracking our progress toward zero net emissions.

Science Based Targets

Synergy is a committed member of the Science Based Targets initiative, which drives climate action in the private sector by enabling organizations to set science-based emissions reduction targets. This ensures we’re reducing our emissions in line with the Paris Agreement, while also holding us accountable via annual reporting and tracking.

Industry committees

Synergy is represented on multiple sustainability committees within our industry, including the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA), the Association of Serviced Apartment Providers (ASAP) and the Corporate Housing Providers Association (CHPA). As members of these committees, we share knowledge and engage with industry experts on an ongoing basis.

Synergy’s Green Leaf Program

Synergy’s Green Leaf Program

The Green Leaf Program is Synergy’s sustainability ranking system for its properties. It supports travelers’ ability to make informed sustainable accommodation choices, and promotes sustainable practices among our supply chain partners. The program requires our partners to complete a questionnaire based specifically on their properties, which Synergy uses to give each property a rating on our sustainability index. This number is translated to an easy-to-understand green leaf rating that is displayed on property profiles, allowing the end-user (travelers) to see a property’s sustainability ranking and make an informed choice about where to stay.

Synergy staff initiatives

Working at Synergy also means working toward sustainability. As such, we developed our Little Things Matter internal training initiative to educate team members about Synergy’s sustainability goals, and how they can reduce their carbon footprint at work and at home. In addition, we expanded our remote work policy, further reducing Synergy’s carbon footprint by eliminating commutes to and from the office. 24% of our staff now work remotely on a permanent basis.

Join us for a sustainable future

The path to sustainability is as much about the journey as the destination. Science will lead the way to a more sustainable future, but we must first work together to take measured steps toward meaningful change. As Debra Christopher, President of Synergy Global Housing, puts it: “It’s culture. It’s behavior. It’s passion. But most importantly, it’s necessary.” Join us!

Our friendly team is on hand to discuss your furnished apartment requirements today.

Synergy Adds Wembley, London to Its Serviced Apartment Portfolio

Synergy continues its global expansion strategy to provide best-in-class temporary living solutions for its clients via a robust mix of owned and partner properties.

London, UK, August 9th, 2022 — Today, Synergy Global Housing (Synergy), a leader in end-to-end serviced accommodation programme management, has announced the addition of new apartments in Wembley Park, one of North London’s most exciting and livable neighbourhoods, following substantial investment into the development of the area in recent years. The announcement comes after a string of similar property commitments made by Synergy over the last 24 months in its bid to further support its global client base.   

The apartments are located in Wembley Park, directly next to the iconic Wembley Stadium, and feature a mix of one-bedroom and two-bedroom residences. The pet-friendly apartments are spread between two establishments: Synergy @Wembley Madison and Synergy @Wembley Robinson, and boast exceptional facilities designed to promote wellbeing and the utmost productivity for travellers, interns, assignees and families alike. Of note, guests will have access to ample co-working spaces, rooftop terraces, urban parks, schools, nurseries and fitness facilities, with world-class entertainment amenities, restaurants, fashion outlets and everyday essentials just a short walk away.

Apartments will be free of single-use plastics, while the entire development boasts remarkable sustainability features including innovative technology designed to reduce energy and water waste, a sustainable logistics strategy and outdoor areas built using recycled materials.

“Synergy is prioritising sustainable real-estate partnerships which promote guest wellbeing both at home and at work,” said Robert Alley, Executive Vice President, International. “When we provide our guests with the tools they need to live and work comfortably, we’re empowering them to remain productive and get the most out of their business trip. It’s about creating an environment in which our business travellers can thrive, while simultaneously supporting our clients on their journey to net zero. Our apartments at Wembley do just that”.

  • Corporate Housing in London - Synergy Madison Kitchen and Living Area
  • Corporate Housing in London - Synergy Living Space
  • Corporate Housing in London - Synergy Madison Outside
  • Corporate Housing in London - Synergy Madison
  • Corporate Housing in London - Synergy Madison Kitchen Area

Apartment Amenities:

  • Pet-friendly
  • Ample Storage
  • Car-parking
  • Dishwasher
  • Washer/Dryer
  • Smart TVs
  • Generous Balconies
  • Floor-to-ceiling windows with views over Wembley Park
  • Lift Access
  • Welcome package

Location Amenities:

  • Wembley Park underground station is located a five minute walk away
  • Walking distance to the Jubilee and Metropolitan line which offer direct trains to Canary Wharf, The City financial districts and Westminster.
  • Access to a range of essential and entertainment amenities within 5-15 minutes’ walk

The announcement comes after Synergy invested substantially into its operational growth across London, Dublin and Munich earlier this year, marking the company’s seventh property opening in EMEA in just 18 months. Nigel Carter, Director of Development, joined Synergy’s leadership team in late 2021 to drive Synergy’s growth in key client locations via the development of strategic and creative partnerships within the real-estate and serviced apartment sector.

“Synergy has entered into an ambitious phase of operational growth,” said Nigel. “Our strategy is to expand our global presence as, when and where our clients need us to be, with a main focus on providing increased access to sustainable world-class inventory. This groundbreaking approach has proven itself to be highly successful in achieving our clients’ business travel objectives, especially in the most volatile of market conditions. I see it as the future of our industry”.

A leading provider in the serviced accommodation space, Synergy has invested significantly into building its operational presence across Europe over the last 24 months, and currently operates nine different properties across London, Dublin and Munich, on top of its vast global supply chain.

About Synergy Global Housing

Founded in 1999, Synergy is a leading international serviced accommodation provider headquartered in San Ramon, CA, delivering a superior hospitality-driven extended-stay experience to the business travel and mobility industries. Providing best-in-class housing and services to over 2,000 cities in 85+ countries, the company has offices in Singapore, China, India, England, Ireland and multiple locations throughout the United States.

Recognised globally, Synergy’s recent awards include 2022 and 2021 Corporate Housing Provider of the Year from the Forum for Expatriate Management (FEM) in the Americas region and the 2021 in EMEA region; 2021 and 2020 Corporate Housing Provider of the Year from the Corporate Housing Providers Association (CHPA);  2020 Corporate Business of the Year from the Association of Services Apartment Providers (ASAP), and the 2022 Best Service Apartment Provider – Regional/Global award from Relocate Magazine.

Synergy is a member of The Ascott Limited (Ascott), a leading international lodging owner-operator based in Singapore. Spanning more than 200 cities in over 30 countries, Ascott’s serviced residence and hotel brands include Ascott The Residence, Oakwood Worldwide, The Crest Collection, Somerset, Quest, Citadines, lyf, Préférence, Vertu, Harris, Citadines Connect, Fox, Yello, Fox Lite and POP!. Ascott is a wholly-owned subsidiary of CapitaLand Investment (CLI), one of Asia’s largest diversified real estate groups headquartered and listed in Singapore and Malaysia. Today, Ascott boasts over 30 years of industry track record and award-winning brands that enjoy recognition worldwide.

Our friendly team is on hand to discuss your furnished apartment requirements today.

Related Articles