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Greening By Example: Fairmont Offsets Gas Emissions Starting at Check-In

July 31, 2007 at 1:50 PM | by | Comments (0)

We admit it. We can get a little too snarky about the greening of the hospitality industry. We'll do our best keep our eco-skeptism in check, sort the fluff from the substantive.

On that note, major props to Fairmont Hotels & Resorts. The 53-property group has been a leader in developing green programs since 1990. Yes, a full 17 years ago, when Fairmont's Canadian properties initiated their first conservation and recycling programs.

More recently, Fairmont has taken its green initiative straight to front desk check-in, purchasing the equivalent of 390 megahertz of wind power, to compensate for the energy used by Fairmont's 837 front desk check-in computers. This represents a projected greenhouse-gas reduction of 160 tons for this year and last. We know that's a drop in the bucket. But hope, yes, even eco-hope, drips eternal.

More Fairmont's green initiatives after the jump.

MORE

These include an offset program launched in 1999 at The Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise. The hotel purchases green power--in this case, a mix of wind and run-of-river generation--that covers about 40% of the property's electric output. At The Fairmont St. Andrews, a cogeneration system installed last year is expected to reduce 3,000 tons of carbon dioxide a year. Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa, in a lighting retrofit last year, replaced 4,000 incandescent bulbs with fluoroscent lighting. This is expected to conserve over 200,000 kilowatts of energy a year.

For those who like to conduct due diligence, Fairmont's 10-page environmental overview is here. Fairmont gets so many questions about its green programs, it tells people on its website that it can't answer all inquiries. So, if you're planning to write, don't get your hopes up. We noticed that Fairmont works with the L.A.-based P.R. firm Environmental Media Association. On its board are eco-celebs like Ed Begley and Darryl Hannah. This suggests Fairmont isn't shy about tooting its horn on all this. We trust those toots are energy efficient.

Related Stories:
· Fairmont Hotels Think Green [HotelChatter]

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