SDG 9 – Industry, innovation, infrastructure
If you want to create a movement, you need a compelling story. Goal 9 underscores how the UN seeks to take into consideration economic development and the use of technologies to combat climate change, while supporting human well-being in the process. Industry is to be made more sustainable, investments in research and development are to be increased significantly and the access to information and communication technology expanded significantly. Goal 9 also seeks to ensure universal internet access.
What we’re doing
If we each turned a single screw, we could change the world. Innovation is our constant companion. When it comes to infrastructure, it is one of our top priorities to support the fantastic public transportation options in Vienna and the surrounding areas. Getting from point A to point B in Vienna is extremely easy thanks to the Vienna transit system. As a hotel that prioritizes sustainability, programs that enable our guests to arrive in an eco-responsible manner and creating incentives to leave cars at home are something near and dear to our hearts. That’s why we created the Green Bonus program years ago. It’s a simple equation: if you reduce CO2, we’ll reduce your rate. Guests arriving by bike, train or e-car, receive our Green Bonus—good for 10% off of the regular room rate. Starting with the second stay, these guests are then eligible for the 10% regular guest discount. (Both are only available when booking directly through our website, by email or phone.)
Implementation
SDG 9 comes to life in Room 5, where everything pays homage to technical achievements and innovation. The issue of infrastructure is on display with the seats from Austrian Airlines. And since travel is one of the biggest achievements of our modern society, we crafted the coffee table from a beautiful old suitcase. The standing lamp once illuminated an airfield at Vienna Airport in Schwechat. The ceiling lamps in the anteroom are made from old traffic lights and also nod to infrastructure. The standing lamp next to the wardrobe, an old drawing board, was a place where innovation was once conceived and today serves as your workspace, should you require one during your stay. The history of the light bulb is illustrated on the two lamps atop the bedside lockers. The shelf made of an old escalator and the old mirror above it provide a tiny glimpse of the innovations that have come about in the past 150 years. For example, the invention of the flat iron, which we have incorporated into the wardrobe. The luggage pays tribute to concrete. There are old ceramic fuses in the bathroom used as hand towel holders, a toilet paper dispenser made from wooden railway tracks and a reminder that innovation is often marked by setbacks and inventions typically take time to become operational. The headboard is held together by one of the most important inventions of recent times: a photovoltaic panel. The bed cushions and the suitcase cover were sewn together using a curtain from room 205. Hopefully, you’re slowly starting to see how seriously we take upcycling—and how much fun we have with it.
