Guests who check in to Toronto’s Fairmont Royal York Hotel this fall may want to check out what the hotel is doing about climate change.

The iconic 94-year-old landmark is getting a $46.5-million retrofit to reduce its carbon emissions, with the ultimate goal of becoming a net-zero, carbon-neutral building.

At least 80 per cent of carbon emissions from the Royal York’s operations, including heating, cooling, cooking, washing and cleaning systems, are expected to be reduced by the end of this year.

The Royal York’s owners, KingSett Capital, and the Fairmont chain that operates the hotel, are seeking to gain a Canada Green Building Council’s Zero Carbon Building Standards Certification later this year. While the work is well under way already, the hotel aims to publicly celebrate its net-zero status this November.

Buildings that achieve the council’s certification, which must be renewed annually, are recognized for minimizing their greenhouse gas emissions from all materials and operations as much as possible using today’s technology.

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