Chosen as one of Canada's Greenest Employers for 2011:
By Kristina Leung and Richard Yerema, Mediacorp Canada Inc. staff editor
(
Apr 20, 2011)
Some of the reasons why Fairmont Hotels & Resorts was selected as one of Canada's Greenest Employers (2011):
a pioneering hotel and resort operator that is celebrating 20 years of its "Green Partnership" program, which defines its comprehensive commitment to minimizing its hotel's impacts on their local environments
and literally wrote the book in its industry on how to build a greener business -- entitled the "Green Partnership Guide", the guide is in its third edition and has been distributed to hotel management schools and even other hotel chains around the world
continues to work with the World Wildlife Fund's "Climate Savers" program to first measure its carbon footprint (in accordance with UN protocols) and has set a corporate target to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 20 percent below 2006 levels by 2013, which is monitored through a formal in-house "Energy and Carbon Management" program -- and recently introduced the "Environmental Engineer of the Year" award for the engineer who has shown an outstanding commitment to this new initiative
as part of the above program, the company is in process of implementing a number of initiatives, from incorporating Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards into its existing design and new construction standards to developing a "Green Procurement Policy and Supplier Code of Conduct" to encourage and educate its main suppliers on how to meet the updated standards
continues to implement energy and water conservation policies at properties worldwide -- including low-flow shower heads, low flush toilets and tap aerators and towel exchange programs to reduce unnecessary laundry
at some properties Fairmont operates programs that divert over 80 percent of items that were previously thrown away as garbage (from food to furniture) with food scraps transported to farms and used furniture donated to shelters -- and these longstanding employee-run recycling programs are spearheaded by employee-led "Green Teams" who compete for recognition as the "Green Team of the Quarter" as well as the coveted title of "Environmental Hotel of the Year"
individual employees also compete for the title of "EnviroStar of the Year", which is awarded to the individual who has shown a outstanding commitment to the company's sustainability goals
has developed a variety of initiatives at its properties worldwide, including the development of organic gardens (including the now famous rooftop garden and apiary atop the Royal York in Toronto), nature trails at resort locations, and support for clean air initiatives and habitat protection
participates with the National Geographic Society's "Ocean Now" campaign -- helping to merge great dining experiences with increasing awareness on the importance of choosing seafood wisely and shifting demand away from fish and shellfish that are over fished or poorly managed towards those that are more sustainable
the hotel's resort location golf courses are part of the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary system, and hotel properties worldwide operate separate programs to raise awareness and protect endangered species in areas where they operate -- including raising funds for the conservation of beluga whales in the St. Lawrence River, right whales off the coast of New Brunswick, grizzly bears and wolves in Alberta, sea turtles in Acapulco, and bluebirds in Bermuda
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