New York Launches Green Hospitality Certification Program

September 28, 2009

Email this story Print this post Add your comments

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has launched a new initiative to certify lodging establishments as “green” for employing environmentally friendly and sustainable practices. Forty-three hotels and inns have signed on as initial participants for the certification process.

As part of the Green Lodging Certification program hoteliers will focus on saving energy, reducing waste disposal, using water efficiently and conserving resources, while improving their bottom line. Candidates will be evaluated on energy efficiency, environmental management, pollution prevention and resource conservation.

Green credentials will be certified by the Audubon GreenLeaf program. Based on environmental performance, a hotel could be assigned one to five green leaves.

The certification program is part of a larger initiative to support and market sustainable tourism throughout New York, according to DEC. The New York State Green Hospitality and Tourism Partnership, a combination of state agencies, business associations, and academia, worked together to develop the certification program. Earlier this year, the partnership helped launch the “Green Restaurant Certification” process.

The New York State Pollution Prevention Institute will conduct the program in conjunction with the Partnership, providing site visits and technical assistance to organizations to help them green their operations.

Email this story Print this post Add your comments

Advertisers

Make sustainability part of your strategy.

Get equipped at the SAP Sustainability Resource Center. >>

Unclear about the EPA's new GHG Rule?

Learn how it could affect your business. >>

EPA mandatory emissions reporting starts Jan 1st

CSA Standards can help your organization get ready for compliance. Find out how. >>

Product Environmental Compliance Best Practices

How to achieve compliance at a significantly lower cost. Download the full report. >>

Join the Discussion

Reader Comments

Although I applaud NY state for getting involved with certifying their hotels as “green”, they are doing so in partnership the Audubon GreenLeaf program. Why is the state of NY getting themselves in the middle of certification? There are several national standards, such as Green Seal’s Green Lodging (http://www.greenseal.org/programs/lodging.cfm ), that could be used to certify hotels in NY. The UN is even getting involved in developing an international Global Standard for Sustainable Tourism ( http://www.sustainabletourismcriteria.org/). This will be on-line soon and in meantime it seems to me that states should defer to the variety of national standards already in place rather than develop partnerships that take time and resources away from other matters.

Matt Courtland of A Sustainable Life | September 29th, 2009

I hope to see one of the green lodging certifications to include no-idling for the hotel vans. It seems the vans to the airport, etc. are constantly running.

Nancy Schneider | October 5th, 2009

Recent Daily News [ see all ]

11/20/2009
11/19/2009
11/18/2009

Charts [ see all ]

European Paper Industry Cuts CO2 Emissions by 42% since 1990

S. America Takes Most Urgent View of Copenhagen Talks

Nike Tops Annual Climate Action Scores

Oceans May Trap more Carbon than Forests

Jobs

View All Jobs >> Post a Job >>

Comments and Discussions

Trade Association on Trade Group on EPA Chemical Regs: ‘If Everything is a Priority, Then Nothing is a Priority’
"Seriously… that..."

Gary Markowitz on Supermarkets Tackle Emissions Reductions, Fuel Efficiency
"Supermarkets waste over 10 percent of their energy through improper..."

peter in ireland on Ontario May Follow California’s Lead on TV Energy Efficiency
"Governor Schwarzenegger is shooting himself in the foot! 1...."

Environmental Leader on S. America Takes Most Urgent View of Copenhagen Talks
"The survey respondents (the PDF report mentions 4,000 respondents in 38..."

Jake on UPS Trying New Hydraulic Hybrid Trucks
"A point of clarification: the Reuters press release referenced herein reports that 20 UPS will purchase..."

Custom Organic Shirts on S. America Takes Most Urgent View of Copenhagen Talks
"90% of North Americans believe it is urgent to get a global climate..."

peter dublin on California City’s Green Building Ordinance Applies to Commercial Buildings
"Why energy efficiebnt regulation on buildings –..."

Environmental Leader