Can going green help your hotel save money? Though expensive, some of these practices may end up paying for themselves in long run finds Amrita Chhabria
A few years ago, going green was a tree hugger’s purview, not a hotel’s, it just wasn’t profitable enough.
But this attitude has changed in recent times. Not only is the customer demanding it, but the developer is also looking into it. Going Green has turned into a financial and investment issue. Investors prefer green companies.
Buying into going green has proven to result in an improved corporate image, an energised workforce as well as competitive advantage in the market place. Efficiencies are created, costs are reduced, and energy is saved by integrating sustainable business practices which increase profitability.
Here are a few of the green initiatives creating a buzz in the hospitality industry,
1. LEED certified Buildings: – The US Green Building Council has developed this internationally recognised certification system – Leadership in Energy and Environmental design works throughout the building lifecycle to promote an approach to sustainability that recognises performance in five key areas–
a. Sustainable Site development
b. Water savings
c. Energy Efficiency
d. Materials Selection
e. Indoor Environmental quality
The Indian Green Building Council (www.igbc.in) has successfully launched LEED in India which offers levels of certification – Platinum, Gold and Silver. There are over a 100 LEED certified projects in India.
Achieving this certification provides a large number of benefits. The immediate one being reduction of energy consumption to an extent of 40%, other benefits include a decreased consumption of water, overall improvement in productivity and a “green” image for the brand.
Starwood is rolling out its Element brand which will feature recycling bins (for paper, glass and plastic) magnetic Do Not Disturb signs, filtered water and soap dispensers to eliminate plastic bottle waste. Rooms also feature full kitchens, healthy food pantries and ergonomic desk chairs. Hybrid drivers get priority parking. Most importantly all Element hotels will be LEED certified. This brand has been launched in North America and the Middle East as of now.
Marriott is striving to expand its portfolio of “green” hotels and buildings, and is developing green hotel guidelines in line with LEED for use by its hotel development partners. The Courtyard by Marriott—Portland City Center 256-room hotel was built to earn LEED Gold certification from the US Green Building Council.
According to a survey of organisations that had undergone at least one LEED certified green retrofit project, by Deloitte, the benefits of the same included
• 93% of the respondents reported a greater ability to attract talent
• 81% saw greater employee retention,
• 87% reported an improvement in workforce productivity
• 75% saw an improvement in employee health
• 73% reported that they had achieved cost reductions as a result of implementing green measures
2. Green Key cards: – Kaba Ilco inc., which makes hotel key cards, has introduced two environmentally friendly products made from 100% recycled poly-vinyl chloride or from polylactide acid plastic – this is derived from a corn byproduct and is both recyclable and biodegradable. An average 100-room hotel property uses approximately 10,000 keycards annually. This adds up to approximately 25 kilograms – or roughly 50 pounds – of materials. Green keys will help tip the scales against adding more non-biodegradable waste to landfills. Marriott has “unlocked” the door to a greener hotel stay by purchasing 24 million key cards made of 50% recycled material, saving 66 tons of plastic from being dumped in the landfill.
3. Travelocity’s Green Directory: – In a survey conducted by Travelocity, 59% of travelers indicated that a green rating would have some influence in their hotel selection in 2009. Hence, the green travel directory was launched to highlight properties and destinations already offering meaningful sustainability initiatives. Travelocity’s green directory, which can be accessed at www.travelocity.com/greentravel, currently features more than 200 hotels from across the world.
Many are 100% carbon neutral, serve locally-grown, organic foods in their restaurants, and some have partnerships with local conservation groups and encourage guests to make individual donations, which will be matched by the hotel. The Lemon Tree hotel in Delhi and the Orchid hotel in Mumbai both feature in this directory.
4. ISO 14001 environmental standard:- This standard specifies the requirements for an environmental management system and is a management tool enabling organisations to
a. identify and control the environmental impact of its activities, products or services,
b. to improve its environmental performance continually,
c. to implement a systematic approach to setting environmental objectives and targets, to achieving these and to demonstrating that they have been achieved.
Some ISO certified hotels in India include – the flagship property of the Leela Palace Kempinski at Bangalore which also won accolades from the Indian government recently. It has been named the “best eco-friendly, five star deluxe hotel” in the country, The Union Home Minister, P Chidambaram and Minister of Tourism, Ambika Soni, presented the National Tourism Award (2007-08) to Rajiv Kaul, Leela’s Senior Vice President, at a ceremony in New Delhi in late February 2009.
The Taj group of Hotels also boasts quite a few ISO 14001 certified eco friendly hotels including The Gateway hotel, Pasumalai at Madurai, which achieved this certification in a record of five months.
A systematic ISO approach ensures that all activities that have an impact on the environment are critically reviewed. It can potentially lead to benefits such as:
• Reduced costs of waste management
• Savings in consumption of energy, water and other resources
• An improved corporate image
• A framework for continued improvement of environmental performance
5. Green Globe certification: – Green Globe is a global Benchmarking and Certification product for sustainable Travel and Tourism. It is based on the Agenda 21 principles for Sustainable Development endorsed by 182 Heads of State at the United Nations Rio De Janeiro Earth Summit in 1992. Green Globe assists organisations to improve their economic, social and environmental sustainability while being rewarded and recognised for it.
The Green Globe Company Standard provides organisations with a framework to conduct a comprehensive assessment of their environmental sustainability performance, through which they can monitor improvements and achieve certification. In India, the Taj group launched EARTH (Environment Awareness & Renewal at Taj Hotels), a project which reiterates their conscious effort to commit to energy conservation and environmental management.
EARTH has received certification from Green Globe, the only worldwide environmental certification program for travel and tourism. Green Globe will provide the EARTH project with independent and comprehensive proof of their environmental commitment through the monitoring, and improvement reports produced for Taj Hotels each year as part of the certification procedure. The Taj group also offers EARTH friendly green rooms where a simple measure like setting the air conditioning at 24 degrees Celsius instead of 18 results in saving up to 30% of energy consumed at lower temperatures.
Novotel, by the Accor group is also joining the fight to save the environment with 30 Green Globe certified hotels worldwide. The Novotel, Hyderabad is the first hotel in Hyderabad to receive this certification, recognising its commitment to high environmental standards. According to Pavithran Nambiar, general manager, Novotel Hyderabad,
“The successful completion of the Certification process demonstrates Novotel Hyderabad’s strong commitment to the principles of environmental sustainability.
Increasingly organisations are becoming more and more conscious of eco-friendly procedures and are seeking to be associated only with like-minded partners. I am confident that the sustainable development programme at Novotel Hyderabad will offer us an unprecedented edge.” This programme also joins together the group’s environmental responsibility initiatives which include: energy, water conservation, waste management and biodiversity.
The long term benefits of adopting an eco friendly policy and an environmental management system are tremendous. The InterContinental Hotels Group is testing out a new system called “Green Engage” to help hotels manage energy consumption more effectively, in response to growing levels of interest from guests who are looking for sustainable hotels that manage their environmental impact. Early trials have shown energy savings of up to 25%. This system can enable the Intercontinental Group to potentially save up to US $200 million dollars globally.
Not only does going green improve your brand image but it also results in more “green” growing in your bank account.
