S:t Clemens Hotel – Gotland’s first Nordic Swan-certified hotel provides climate financing
Twenty years ago, Menette, along with her husband Calle and her in-laws, purchased Hotel St. Clemens. At that time, sustainability initiatives in the hotel industry on Gotland were few and far between. Today, St. Clemens is Gotland’s first Nordic Swan-labeled hotel—and one of the few hotels in Sweden that both manages its climate impact per guest night using carbon offsetting and simultaneously benefits the local environment through various initiatives.
Sustainability as a Foundation Since 2007
The S:t Clemens Hotel is located in Visby and has been run exclusively by Menette and Calle since 2019. From the very beginning in 2007, they chose to operate based on the idea that Visby and Gotland should be a great place to live and work—for their children and grandchildren as well. With that as their starting point, a natural sense of responsibility toward the environment and the island as a whole emerged, and it has been a guiding principle for the family ever since.
“As an entrepreneur, you have tremendous opportunities and a great deal of responsibility. Sustainability is essential to our business—if we aren’t sustainable, we won’t have any guests. The business community wields great power, and there is tremendous potential to make a positive impact,” says Menette von Schulman, owner of Hotel S:t Clemens.
The Solution: Climate Calculations and carbon offsetting
S:t Clemens conducts a carbon footprint assessment every five years; the first one covered the 2021 fiscal year, and the next one is set to begin shortly. Based on the results of this assessment, S:t Clemens offsets its carbon footprint—calculated per guest-night—through ZeroMission .
To make a positive impact on many levels, S:t Clemens has chosen not only to purchase verified carbon credits but also to support a local biochar initiative on Gotland. Biochar improves soil structure and increases the soil’s ability to retain water—a key issue for agriculture on Gotland.
At the same time, ongoing efforts to reduce our environmental impact continue, with investments in energy and heating (including a shift away from direct-acting electricity) and new insights into the climate footprint of food, which turned out to be larger than expected. Menette describes how exciting it will be to see the change in our environmental impact from the first climate assessment to the present, in light of the investments and conscious choices that have been made.
"There’s a sense of pride in what we do. It’s a positive feeling that reaffirms our own choices—for example, when guests respond positively to the fact that we’re Nordic Ecolabel-certified. We want to create a place where we and our staff feel good—then our guests feel good, too. That has earned us fantastic reviews, even though we’re by no means a luxury hotel. What makes it premium is that you feel good,” says Menette von Schulman, who owns Hotell S:t Clemens together with her husband, Calle.
Why did you decide to start carbon offset?
“For me, the question is really why it took so long before we got started. I suppose I had the impression that it would take a long time, or that it would be complicated in some way. But at its core, it’s based on a desire and a personal commitment to sustainability,” says Menette von Schulman.
She continues:
“We have an impact, and so we have to do what we can. If you have an impact, you must also leave a positive mark—what we can give back. It’s about being a regenerative destination: giving back to the place, and giving more than you take,” says Menette.
