Macdonald Hotels & Resorts, the UK's largest privately owned hotel group, today (20 September 2011) confirmed it has achieved the coveted Carbon Trust Standard.
The independently verified award is only accorded to organisations that provide genuine proof of a reduction in their carbon footprint to help combat the global impact of climate change.
Achieving the coveted Standard is a major milestone for Macdonald Hotels & Resorts. It comes at a time UK businesses, annually consuming more than 6,000MWh of electricity, face a mandatory carbon emissions reporting and pricing scheme administered by the UK Government's CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme (previously known as the Carbon Reduction Commitment).
Consequently, with its 40-plus, 4 and 5 star properties across the UK offering discerning corporate, conference and leisure guests the highest quality of product and service, the robustly assessed* Carbon Trust Standard confirms Macdonald Hotels & Resorts is making genuine year-on-year commitments to reduce its carbon footprint across its hotel operations.
Referring to the significance of achieving the Standard, David Guile, Chief Executive of Macdonald Hotels & Resorts, commented: "I am very proud of the contribution every employee across the hotel group has made to help Macdonald Hotels & Resorts achieve the coveted Carbon Trust Standard.
"As a leading and responsible hotel operator, we take the issue of sustainability and energy conservation very seriously. We have created an in-house Energy Committee, led by Gordon Fraser, Group Finance Director, supported by the Board, that's specifically tasked with reducing our energy consumption and identifying sustainable solutions across the group.
Gordon Fraser added, "For example, it's estimated our decision to install LED light bulbs throughout The Macdonald Manchester Hotel http://www.macdonaldhotels.co.uk/our-hotels/macdonald-manchester-hotel-spa/ & Spa will annually achieve a reduction of 343 tonnes of CO2 while a voltage optimiser in our Macdonald Holyrood Hotel in Edinburgh http://www.macdonaldhotels.co.uk/our-hotels/macdonald-holyrood-hotel will contribute a further reduction of 167 tonnes of CO2. The installation of a Combined Heat and Power unit at the Macdonald Berystede Hotel near Ascot http://www.macdonaldhotels.co.uk/our-hotels/macdonald-berystede-hotel-spa/ and of a boiler optimiser in our 5-star Macdonald Randolph Hotel in Oxford http://www.macdonaldhotels.co.uk/our-hotels/macdonald-randolph-hotel/ are yet other examples of how this hotel group is leading the way with the implementation of sustainable energy solutions.
"Having achieved the Standard and an overall reduction of 7.9% in our CO2 emissions over the period 2009-2010, we remain committed to further improving our energy efficiency and to meet a self-imposed target of reducing by 2015 our overall carbon footprint by 15%."
The right for Macdonald Hotels & Resorts to proudly display the Carbon Trust Standard logo also comes at a time when research indicates an organisations 'green credentials' strongly influence a consumers purchasing decisions.
A 2008 Carbon Trust You Gov survey of employees (drawn from multiple industry sectors) found 70% 'would like to cut workplace emissions' while a separate You Gov survey reported 71% of consumers questioned 'are more likely to buy from a business certified as having reduced emissions.'
Macdonald Hotels & Resorts now joins other leading brands, including Boots UK, Marks & Spencer and IKEA to have received the Carbon Trust Standard mark of excellence for achieving real carbon reduction.
