Hilton Worldwide: Over 4,500 tonnes of carbon emissions from meetings and events offset in the first six months
Over4,500 tonnes of carbon emissions from meetings and events offset in the first six months |
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Hilton Worldwide: Over 4,500 tonnes of carbon emissions from meetings and events offset in the first six months
Over4,500 tonnes of carbon emissions from meetings and events offset in the first six months |
Category: Asia Pacific - Exclusive experiences
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This is a press release selected by our editorial committee and published online for free on 2013-04-26
Hilton Worldwidetoday announced the extension of its Carbon Offset Program in Southeast Asia with the inclusion of Conrad Bali and Hilton Bandung in Indonesia. They join 11 existing properties in Southeast Asia already offsetting carbon emissions from events and meetings. Since its introduction on 1 October, 2012, the Hilton Worldwide Carbon Offset Program in Southeast Asia has successfully offsetmore than 4,500 tonnes of carbon emissions. The amount of carbon offset is equivalent to taking over 470economy class flights around the world.
At no additional cost to customers, the program measures carbon generated by events and meetings and offsets these through the purchase of carbon credits. The credits are used to fund projects in Borneo and Cambodia that have strong community and environmental benefits beyond carbon. From 1 April, 2013, 13Hilton Worldwide properties in Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand are part of the program.
“Hilton Worldwide is committed to leading the hospitality industry in sustainable practices,” said William Costley, vice president, operations - Southeast Asia, Hilton Worldwide. “The exceptional results from the first six months of the Hilton Worldwide Carbon Offset Program in Southeast Asia demonstrate the meaningful contribution an organisation can make to the environment and communities itoperates in.”
Hilton Worldwide is the first and only major multi-brand hospitality company to make sustainability measurement and corrective action a brand standard at each of its over 3,900 hotels globally.
The program has been well received by customers including large multinational companies that put a premium on sustainability. In the first six months of the Hilton Worldwide Carbon Offset Program in Southeast Asia, around 70 percent of events and meetings offset were from corporate customers.
“The Carbon Offset Program has definitely drawn great interest from our customers, and there is a growing trend for companies to conduct events, and other aspects of their business, in environmentally responsible ways. The program offers a competitive edge for clients that take sustainability seriously and provides them with an avenue to give back to the environment,” said Heinrich Grafe, general manager, Conrad Centennial Singapore.
Global event management company andHilton Worldwide client, MCI, takesenvironmental impact into consideration when selecting venues for events and meetings.
“At MCI, we have an obligation to grow our business sustainably and responsibly in a way that supports communities and safeguards the environment,” saidRain Toh, event manager-corporate division, MCI Singapore.“If we find the right balance, our business will continue to prosper and bring value not only to our current stakeholders, but also to future generations.”
Working with Climate Friendly, a carbon offset solutions provider, Hilton Worldwide identified two initial beneficiaries of the carbon offset program in Southeast Asia. They are the Borneo Rainforest Rehabilitation Project and Cambodia Cookstove Project.
Participating hotelsin the Hilton Worldwide Carbon Offset Program in Southeast Asia are: • Conrad Centennial Singapore
• Hilton Singapore
• Hilton Kuala Lumpur
• DoubleTree by Hilton Kuala Lumpur
• Hilton Petaling Jaya
• Hilton Kuching
• Millennium Hilton Bangkok
• Conrad Bangkok
• Hilton Phuket Arcadia Resort & Spa
• Hilton Pattaya
• Hilton HuaHin Resort & Spa
• Conrad Bali
• Hilton Bandung
About the Borneo Rainforest Rehabilitation ProjectThe Borneo Rainforest Rehabilitation Project aims to restore the rainforests of Sabah, Malaysia and grow the habitable area for wildlifesuch as orang-utans, sun bears, gibbons, pygmy elephants and the critically endangered Sumatran Rhino. Apart from growing the habitable area for wildlife, the rainforest restoration will also contribute to lowering greenhouse gas levels in the atmosphere.
About the Cambodian Cookstove ProjectThe Cambodian Cookstove Project focuses on the productionand mass distribution of a New Lao Stove, an energy-efficient cookstove. Nearly 90 percent of Cambodians depend daily on fuel-wood and charcoal for cooking, which contributes to the depletion of forest resources. The New Lao Stove saves 22 percent of wood and charcoal compared to traditional stoves. Widespread use of the New Lao Stove is seen to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and conserve Cambodia's forests.
About LightStayLightStay is a proprietary system developed to calculate and analyze sustainability performance. LightStay measures multiple utility and operational metrics such as (but not limited to) energy, water, carbon, housekeeping, paper product usage, waste, chemical storage, air quality and transportation. In addition, LightStay provides social networking tools that allow properties to communicate and share information, and features a "meeting impact calculator" element that calculates the sustainability impact of any meeting or conference held at a property. Hilton Worldwide is the first multi-brand hospitality company to make sustainability measurement a brand standard and recently earned ISO 9001 and 14001 certifications for quality and environmental management - one of the largest volume certifications awarded for commercial buildings. In 2010 alone, the company saved more than $74 million in utility costs through a 6.6 percent reduction of energy use; 7.8 percent reduction of carbon output; 19 percent reduction of waste output; and 3.8 percent reduction of water use.
About Hilton WorldwideHilton Worldwide is a leading global hospitality company, spanning the lodging sector from luxurious full-service hotels and resorts to extended-stay suites and mid-priced hotels. For 93 years, Hilton Worldwide has offered business and leisure travelers the finest in accommodations, service, amenities and value. The company is dedicated to continuing its tradition of providing exceptional guest experiences across its global brands. Its brands are comprised of more than 3,900 hotels and timeshare properties, with 650,000 rooms in 90 countries and territories and include Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts, Conrad Hotels & Resorts, Hilton Hotels & Resorts, DoubleTree by Hilton, Embassy Suites Hotels, Hilton Garden Inn, Hampton Hotels, Homewood Suites by Hilton, Home2 Suites by Hilton and Hilton Grand Vacations. The company also manages the world-class guest reward program Hilton HHonors.
About Climate FriendlyClimate Friendly is one of the world’s leading providers of carbon offsets and renewable energy certificates. It was founded in 2003 in Australia and has a global client base. Its high quality, full service offering means it is the supplier of choice for organisations around the globe.
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