Novotel First NZ Hotel Brand Awarded Green Globe

Media Release for immediate use: Monday 28 September 2009

Novotel First Hotel Brand to Be Awarded Green Globe in New Zealand

Novotel Hotels is the first hotel brand in New Zealand to gain the highly coveted Green Globe certification.

Established by the World Tourism and Travel Council in 1992, Green Globe is the premier international environmental certification programme for sustainable management and operations in travel and tourism.

Paul Richardson, Vice President Accor Hospitality New Zealand and Fiji, says the Green Globe certification is fantastic news for Novotel.

“We are very proud to be the first hotel brand in New Zealand to gain this highly sought after certification,” he says.

“The current climate ensures that businesses strive for environmental sustainability and Novotel is committed to continually developing our sustainable policy,” he says.

“We are also fostering relationships with suppliers that also embrace good environmental practices and who have a similar philosophy regarding sustainability.”

According to the Green Globe certification process, Novotel Hotels were assessed according to eight performance criteria that will guarantee recycling and better waste management, reduction of greenhouse gases emissions, less pollution and energy and water consumption control.
“After a benchmarking phase of 12 months, where we established a Sustainability Policy and completed a benchmarking assessment, Novotel was independently audited by a third party, in order to obtain Green Globe certification,” says Paul Richardson.

“But it doesn’t stop there. We are audited every year in order to guarantee the criteria are maintained.”

Paul Richardson says the Green Globe programme of environmental sustainability has many benefits for Novotel.

“There are obviously savings through more efficient use of resources. But Green Globe certification also provides an immediate recognition for ‘green’ consumers, which gives our clients a differentiation and an extra decision criterion when choosing where to stay,” he says

“We are already noticing a number of larger companies are choosing to stay with Novotel due to our Green Globe status.”

Novotel Hotels have recycling and reducing initiatives in place. These include recycling stations at hotels for guests, metal cans, plastic and paper, guest options to reuse towel and bed linen, reusing organic restaurant and garden waste as compost and eliminating the burning of waste which releases harmful toxins into the environment. Paper products such as serviettes, toilet paper, paper hand-towels and the majority of printed items are from fully recycled materials.

Novotel employees are also getting right behind the Green Globe programme, according to Paul Richardson. They attended an awareness session on Sustainable Development and also took responsibility for the success of the pilot phase of the project.

Novotel Hotels will continue its Sustainability Development through the construction of two new hotels in New Zealand. Novotel Auckland Airport will be operational in July 2011 and will be a 263-room hotel located directly opposite Auckland’s International Airport.

Novotel Christchurch Cathedral Square will open early next year, consisting of 193 rooms, and will incorporate the iconic heritage listed Warners Hotel This hotel will be the first international four-star hotel to open in Christchurch since 1997 and will also be working towards Green Globe certification.

Paul Richardson says the Novotel Hotels brand has definite plans for the future.

“Our primary goal is to be, and remain, the benchmark in terms of hotel innovation.”

Background Information
Accor, a major global group and the European leader in hotels, as well as the global leader in services to corporate clients and public institutions, operates in nearly 100 countries with 150,000 employees. It offers to its clients over 40 years of experience in its two core businesses:
- Hotels with the Sofitel, Pullman, MGallery, Novotel, Mercure, All Seasons, Formual 1 and Motel 6 brands, representing 4,000 hotels and nearly 5,000 rooms in 90 countries, as well as strategically related activities such as Lenotre;
- Services with 30million people in 40 countries benefiting from Accor Services products in employee and public benefits, rewards and loyalty, and expense management.

Green Globe is the international benchmarking and certification programme for the travel and tourism industry based on the Agenda 21 principles for Sustainable Development endorsed by 182 Heads of State at the United Nations Rio Earth Summit in 1992. Green Globe is managed by EC3 Global, a subsidiary of the Sustainable Tourism Co-operative Research Centre. For more information on Green Globe, visit www.greenglobe.org

ENDS

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