Bangkok--14 Nov--Accor Asia Pacific
Accor Asia Pacific announced today that 11 Novotel hotels and resorts throughout the Asia Pacific region have achieved Green Globe Sustainable Tourism Certification, as part of a pilot hotel program that commenced in early 2008. This notable achievement marks the beginning of a program that will see the Asia Pacific network of Novotel’s, (today 84 hotels) certified before the end of 2009.
The next phase of certification will see all Novotel Resorts in the Asia Pacific certified, including hotels in Bali, Lombok and Bogor in Indonesia, Phuket, Rayong and Chumphon in Thailand, Phan Thiet in Vietnam and Cairns and Twin Waters in Australia. The resort network will achieve certification as early as March 2009.
Globally the Novotel network of almost 400 hotels and resorts has committed to achieving Green Globe certification by 2010, to become the first hotel brand to achieve global network certification.
“The Novotel brand has been focused on sustainable development for more than 10 years, so the Green Globe certification initiative is a natural evolution” says Evan Lewis — Vice President Communications for Accor Asia Pacific. “Our hotels and resorts within the Asia Pacific have introduced the Accor Environmental Charter, requiring the application of 65 actions, Green Globe certification takes this to a new level ensuring continuing and lasting improvement of environmental performance by our hotels”.
Green Globe is an international organisation that provides certification for Sustainable Tourism, originally established in 1992 by the World Tourism and Travel Council and based on Agenda 21 (priorities of the 21st century for the planet).
The Green Globe certification takes place in two stages; first an assessment of the environmental performance according to a benchmarking audit and then the establishment of environmental management system to improve each hotels performance with respect to sustainable development policies. Following this each hotel is externally audited for compliance to Green Globe standards.
Jagan Lacsher — Executive Assistant Manager of the Novotel Bangkok on Siam Square (and Green Globe Program Leader at this pilot hotel) commented “The Green Globe benchmarking and management process review heightened our awareness of the hotels consumption of energy, water, paper, chemicals, pesticides and waste management as well as our efforts in social welfare actions. The whole team has become focused on ways to improve consumption, communicate the efforts with guests and each department now contributes to a constant improvement process”.
The Novotel Bali Benoa was the lead hotel on the pilot project and subsequently Novotel Bangkok on Siam Square, Novotel Hyderabad, Novotel Melbourne Glen Waverley, Novotel Wellington Capital, Novotel Atrium Darwin, Novotel Brisbane, Novotel Canberra, Novotel Perth Langley, Novotel Melbourne St Kilda, Novotel Auckland Ellerslie have completed Green Globe certification.
Michael Issenberg — Chairman and Chief Operating Officer, Accor Asia Pacific says “Travelers are increasingly seeking hotels with an environmental conscience. With a global network of almost 400 Novotel hotels and resorts already dedicated to the fight against global warming, Green Globe certification provides the assurance that our guests call for. Our ambition towards Green Globe certification of our entire network is bold, our commitment to improved environmental action is resolute”.
All details concerning Novotel’s commitment to Green Globe are available online at youandusforearth.com Here you will find general information, latest press releases, interview requests and press kit on the initiative.
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