Fairmont Hotels & Resorts Joins Green Key Eco-Rating Program in United States
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Fairmont Hotels & Resorts Joins Green Key Eco-Rating Program in United States
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Category: North America & West Indies / Carribean islands - United States - Industry economy
- New brands / Affiliations
This is a press release selected by our editorial committee and published online for free on 2009-09-25
The Green Key Eco-Rating Program (Green Key) today announced that Fairmont Hotels & Resorts has committed its portfolio in the United States to becoming members of the Green Key Eco-Rating Program.
The recent launch of the Green Key Eco-Rating Program in the United States signifies the evolution of the program from its Canadian roots to one that serves the needs of conservation-minded properties across Canada and the U.S. The partnership between Green Key and Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, an environmentally progressive hotel group with close to two decades of experience greening its operations, dates back to the original development of the program in the mid-1990s.
“As a true leader in environmental stewardship, Fairmont sees value in working with like-minded partners to reduce its environmental impact and promote operational sustainability,” said Sarah Dayboll, Fairmont’s Manager of Environmental Affairs. “Expanding the Green Key program to our US-based properties, supports Fairmont’s brandwide commitment to minimizing its impact on the planet, as it provides our hotels with another tool to audit, benchmark and also enhance their environmental activity.”
The Green Key evaluation is a comprehensive 140-question audit that is self-administered by the staff at the participating property, covering a broad range of operational areas and sustainable practices. Upon completion, the answers are tabulated and the property is awarded a ranking of 1 to 5 Keys and a corresponding display plaque. The property also receives a comprehensive report that includes recommendations, best practices and potential areas for improvement and savings, and a listing on the www.greenkeyglobal.com website, a valuable resource for environmentally conscious travelers. Unlike other programs of this nature, Green Key includes random, on-site verification of audit results, mitigating the risk of score inflation.
“As a recognized leader in Canada and globally in terms of sustainable hotel practices, we are very pleased that Fairmont Hotels & Resorts has made this commitment as we launch Green Key in the United States,” explained Tony Pollard, President of Green Key Global.
The cornerstone of the program is its focus on sound sustainable practices specifically for the lodging industry. Green Key was developed by a leading environmental engineering firm with support from the Canadian Government to withstand the scrutiny of a wide-range of environmental experts. The program has also received praise from the U.S. Office of the Federal Environmental Executive (OFEE), the Partnership for Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria and the Rainforest Alliance and is listed in the American Hotel & Lodging Association’s (AH&LA) Green Resource Center.
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