a&o publishes 2025 Sustainability Report

Further reduction in CO2e footprint per overnight stay for Europe’s largest hostel chain and major advancements made towards green energy consumption

Berlin, 9th July 2026: a&o Hostels has released its annual Sustainability Report for 2025, detailing key environmental achievements. With 46 properties and approximately 31,600 beds in 32 cities and ten European countries, a&o is Europe's largest hostel chain and continues to set sustainability standards with concrete achievements, clear goals, and transparent tracking.

a&o ESG Director, Arben Maliqi, has presented the fourth Sustainability Report for the company which reviews records set in 2025. The report finds that CO2e emissions per overnight stay have fallen by 1.9 percent compared to 2024, now at 3.58 kilograms. Four new locations, acquired in 2025 and repurposed as a&o accommodation, account for the slight increase in total emissions by 3.1 percent to 13,575 metric tons. The 41-page report, covering the key areas of energy, engagement, and corporate ethics, is now available for download at aohostels.com.

Oliver Winter, Founder and CEO of a&o Hostels, said: "The travel industry is constantly evolving, and a&o is actively shaping this transformation by combining growth with our commitment to further reducing energy consumption and using resources responsibly. Travel remains a fundamental human need and an ever-growing industry. Moving forward, we will continue to work with our partners and guests to contribute to travel that is resource-efficient and socially responsible."

In 2025, a&o welcomed nearly three million guests, who accounted for 6.6 million overnight stays.

Focus on property conversion and collaboration with the Technical University of Berlin

Having opened four new locations in 2025, including the a&o London Docklands Riverside in a historic 17th-century warehouse complex on the Thames, a&o now operates 46 properties, 43 of which are conversions of existing buildings. The company now turns its sights to a major project titled a&o Berlin Checkpoint Charlie, the conversion a former office building on Rudi-Dutschke-Straße which is currently vacant. In cooperation with the Technical University of Berlin, a&o is conducting a life cycle assessment study for this new Berlin location intended to serve as a blueprint for future conversion projects.

Key ESG-Goals Achieved

a&o's sustainability focus is on direct, verifiable emissions reductions within its own operations and value chain. This includes optimizing energy efficiency, expanding the use of renewable energy, reducing waste, and collaborating closely with suppliers. External offsetting solutions are avoided. ESG-director Arben Maliqi also highlights measures and projects for social engagement. Key initiatives include:

  • 100 percent green electricity: 100 percent of electricity needs at all locations covered by green electricity (where available)
  • Paperless: Waste reduction through 100 percent digital guest registration
  • Cooperation with the Technical University of Berlin: Creation of a life cycle assessment as a blueprint for further conversions
  • a&o educare and cultura e storia: Initiation of solidarity-funded school trips and support for the preservation of cultural heritage
 

The top three destinations with the lowest emissions per overnight stay are:

 

Education, Culture, Community

In addition to measurable energy-related measures, social engagement is another key component of the a&o sustainability strategy. This includes investments in training, education, and health management for the more than 1,300 employees, as well as support for social and cultural projects.

Examples of this include:

  • 378,000 euros were invested in training and continued education, an increase of eight percent compared to 2024.
  • a&o cultura e storia: In collaboration with local educational, cultural, and administrative institutions, a&o is supporting the restoration of Villa Mocenigo, a neoclassical complex dating from 1805 in Alvisopoli, in the Veneto region, to preserve the site as cultural heritage and make it accessible to visitors once again.
  • a&o educare: the everyonecantravel.app is a platform for solidarity-funded school trips; the "Everyone Comes Along" relief fund helps low-income families finance a class trip.
  • Sports Sponsorship: a&o is involved in soccer, handball, and basketball, among other sports, and is also the main sponsor of the Austrian women's national team at the Homeless World Cup, an initiative in collaboration with Caritas Graz.
 

Awards and Outlook

For initiatives and projects as part of its ESG commitment, a&o has received multiple awards, including in 2025:

  • the “A World for Travel Societal Development Award”
  • a “Rating 2” from Sustainable Fitch for a strong ESG profile – for the third consecutive year
 

"We're not resting on our laurels," emphasizes Winter in the foreword to the 2025 Sustainability Report. "We know that much more is still possible and necessary, and we are confident that we will make further significant progress together with our partners and guests in the spirit of sustainable tourism," he adds.

Since measurements began in 2015, a&o has been able to reduce CO2e emissions by 76 percent to approximately 3.58 kilograms per overnight stay.