Environmental Leader

Two leading international hotel groups are making strides towards sustainability.

Rezidor Hotel Group, which manages chains including Radisson Blu, Park Inn, Country Inn & Suites and Regent, has released its 2008 sustainability report. Rezidor has 370 hotels in operation or under development with 78,000 rooms in 58 countries.

Key achievements by Rezidor hotels in 2008 include:

• Energy per m² (kWh) decreased 6 percent for Radisson Blu, 14 percent for Park Inn
• Water per guest night (litres) was down 3 percent for Radisson Blu, 7 percent for Park Inn
• Waste per guest night (kg) trended down 2 percent for Radisson Blu, 22 percent for Park Inn
• A tripling of the number of eco-labeled hotels in key regions
• Launching Responsible Business training for all 32,000 employees

Meanwhile, Fairmont Hotels, which just joined the World Wildlife Foundaton’s Climate Savers Partners program, is finalizing a Green Procurement Policy, as well as a Supplier Code of Conduct. It expects to have those complete this year, according to a press release.

Fairmont is encouraging its top suppliers, which represent about 25 percent of its supply chain, to provide products that comply with the aforementioned policies by the end of 2010.

Additionally, Fairmont by 2012 will update its design and construction standards to reflect LEED standards, and it is considering relocating its corporate offices in Toronto to offices that achieve LEED Gold status by 2011.

Through all its efforts, by 2013 Fairmont aims to cuts its CO2 emissions by 20 percent below 2006 levels.