17 West/North West Businesses receive Green Hospitality Awards
17 West/North West Businesses receive Green
Hospitality Awards
and reap further rewards through cost savings
Green Hospitality Awards (GHA) are being presented today (14th January 2009) to West and North West County Hotels and Businesses at the Westport Woods Hotel, Westport, Co. Mayo. The Green Hospitality Award is a national programme supported by the EPA and Local Authorities in recognition of efforts made to improve environmental management within the hospitality sector in Ireland.
This GHA is a step by step programme with awards presented at Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum levels. A total of 17 hotels were awarded under the scheme in the West/North West region alone and a further 68 awards are being presented at venues throughout the country. The region faired very well at this years awards receiving 3 Gold 5 Silver and 9 Bronze awards in total (see full details below). There are currently many other hospitality businesses in the region working towards this goal.
Mayo - 3 Gold, 3 Silver, 2 Bronze:
County Mayo swept the board with Golds going to: Westport Woods Hotel, Clew Bay Hotel and the Carlton Atlantic Coast. Silver awards went to Mayo hotels: The Westport Plaza, Days Hotel Castlebar and the Castlecourt Hotel, Westport. Bronze awards were presented to Ashford Castle, and Knock House Hotel. The town of Westport was voted the destination that combines the best hospitality and environmental excellence and received a Special Category Award for this distinction as the Greenest Destination.
Galway - 1 Silver, 5 Bronze:
A Silver Award was presented to the Radisson SAS, Galway City while Bronze Awards went to the Ardilaun House Hotel, Galway Bay Hotel, Glenlo Abbey, the Carlton Shearwater Hotel & The Connemara Coast Hotel
Donegal - 1 Silver, 1 Bronze.
The county received 2 awards in total, a Silver Award to Harveys Point County Hotel and a Bronze Award going to the Radisson SAS Letterkenny.
Sligo - 1 Bronze:
The Radisson SAS Sligo picked up a Bronze Award.
“The average Irish hotel needs to perform considerably better in terms of control of Energy, Water and Waste Management and is in fact performing up to 67% worse than the world average” said Maurice Bergin, Managing Director of the Green Hospitality Award Programme. “This is quite startling especially when you consider that the reduction in costs experienced by our members can be between €50,000 and €150,000 in the first year, after full implementation of the program. The really surprising factor is that much of these savings come from low or no cost systems and practices being put in place in each property”.
The Green Hospitality Award currently has 180+ members nationwide striving for best practice in this important area. The scheme differentiates itself from other programmes in that it provides ongoing advice and auditing to its members thereby offering a hands on approach. The basis of the programme is to encourage members to initiate an internal management programme to reduce the consumption of energy and water and reduce the volume of waste going to landfill as these are the areas where costs will continue to escalate over the coming years as well as carbon taxes being on the Governments agenda. GHA is benchmarked against all the top international environmental award schemes and is tailored as a best fit to the Irish hospitality industry.
In 2008 the Environmental Protection Agency commenced funding the Green Hospitality Award, through its Green Business Initiative. This funding is planned to be available until 2011 and is designed to assist the award in spreading throughout the hotel and hospitality sector.
2008 Green Hospitality Award Winners West/ North West Region
Business 2008 Audit Award Status
Carlton Atlantic Coast Hotel Gold
Clew Bay Hotel Gold
Westport Woods & Spa Hotel Gold
Castlecourt Hotel Silver
Westport Plaza Hotel Silver
Radisson SAS Hotel Galway Silver
Harvey's Point Country Hotel Silver
Days Hotel Castlebar Silver
Carlton Shearwater Hotel Bronze
Ardilaun House Hotel Bronze
Ashford Castle Bronze
Connemara Coast Hotel Silver
Galway Bay Hotel Bronze
Glenlo Abbey Hotel Bronze
Knock House Hotel Silver
Radisson SAS Hotel Sligo Bronze
Radisson SAS Hotel Letterkenny Bronze
To date the Green Hospitality Award is implementing it’s Environmental Management System in 180+ Irish Hospitality Businesses and has helped reduce operating costs in over 8,000 hotel rooms. Within the Hotel membership 200 food outlets have included environmental principles and procedures in their menus, buying practices and day-to-day operations and up to 3,000 hospitality professionals actively participate in the Green Hospitality Award program.
Issued on behalf of Green Hospitality Award by Maeve Governey PR
Enquiries to: Maeve Governey – 086-805 7884
Overview of Green Hospitality Award
Nationwide Membership
Current – December 2008
Members c. 180 Hotels: c. 170 (17% of Hotels) –
c. 12,000 Rooms (22% Room Stock)
Awards c. 85 (10 Gold’s)
European Comparison (For Environmental Awards issued to Hotels- some stock figures estimated)
Environmental Award Scheme Country Environmental Awards issued to Hotels Hotel stock Environmental Award Penetration Rate
Green Hospitality Award Ireland 80 c.1000 8.0%
Nordic Swan Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Norway, Iceland c. 152 c. 4000 3.8%
Green Tourism Business Scheme United Kingdom c. 233 c. 20,000+ 1.17%
EU Flower 27 EU Nations c. 90 c. 200,000 0.05%
Source: GHA, Eurostat, BTA
Targets – 2009
Members c. 330 (Including Hotels, Restaurants, Contract
Caterers, Tourism Activities, Health Sector, Nursing Homes)
Awards c. 200
Achievements made/Activities undertaken by members over the last few years
- WASTE
- Prevention of waste through operational and service changes
- Reducing waste going to landfill by 50%+
- Reducing packaging waste being delivered to hotels
- Excellent glass, cardboard, paper recycling
- Excellent recycling of hazardous and WEEE waste
- Prevention and better management of organic waste
- WATER
- Reducing water consumption by 50%+
- Reducing water consumption through taps and showers
- Reducing water consumption through toilets and urinals
- Identifying and repairing leaks
- Use Green Water – rain water for toilets & laundries
- ENERGY
- Reducing energy consumption by up to 30%
- Reducing energy costs by up to 50%
- Using low energy bulbs
- Installing woodchip and wood pellet boilers
- Installing geothermal and solar hot water systems
- Training staff to manage energy better
It is estimated that GHA members have saved in excess of €3,000,000 in 2008 by implementing Good and Best Practice.
Hotel Sector Reduction Potential (ERTDI Programme 2000-2006, CGPP – Greening Irish Hotels)
C0₂ Reductions c. 162,687 tonnes/annum
Water Reductions c. 4,501,000 m³/annum – 5,400,000 litres per hotel
Waste Reductions c. 56,000 tonnes landfill/annum
Energy c. 750,000,000+ kWh/annum
The economic potential for the Hotel Sector alone is estimated at in excess of c. € 100 million (at 2008 prices) of savings available.
Cost Saving – during 2008
Typical GHA Hotels Reduced Water Consumption € 10,000 to €100,000 Reducing water consumption in showers, taps, toilets and urinals. Large number of GHA hotels identified leaks following benchmarking exercise and repaired same reducing water consumption by up to 75%
Typical GHA Hotels Reduced Landfill Waste € 5,000 to €45,000 All GHA hotels are requires to prevent waste through changes to operations and services; e.g. elimination of single use packaging at breakfast. Hotels have increased waste separation and implemented proper recycling process - thereby reducing waste going to landfill
Typical GHA Hotels Reduced Energy consumption and CO2 emissions € 10,000 to €100,000 Activities included energy management awareness programmes, monitoring & targeting, rebulbing, better management of equipment, installation of CHP and Renewable Energies
Much activity was also implemented in increasing employee and customer awareness of the benefits of going “Green”
What other things are properties doing?
- Developing Environmental policies
- Promoting activities to Customers
- Reducing use of Chemicals
- Buying Bulk supplies
- Engaging with suppliers to “Green the Supply Chain”
- Engaging in Carbon offsetting practices
- Promoting environmental services
- Buying local produce, buying Irish where possible
- Assisting local schools with their Green Flag programmes
- Engaging in local activities, Tidy Towns, etc..
Green Hospitality Award - Background
The Green Hospitality Award was developed by Cork County Council and the Clean Technology Centre, CIT (CTC) in the late 1990’s in order to facilitate hotels and restaurants to improve their environmental performance. However, economic considerations then were not the same as the present day and the concept lay idle. The award was at that time called the Green Fáilte Award.
The Award Scheme was revitalised in 2003 and relaunched in 2004 with its first Award Winners. This stage of the Award Scheme was developed by CTC and Hospitality Solutions Consulting Ltd (HSC) together with the backing of Cork Chamber of Commerce and supported by Cork City & County Councils and local sponsors.
The Green Hospitality Award is an environmental certificate awarded to hotels and restaurants which prove their commitment to the environment by fulfilling a number of key requirements.
The award is granted based on performance in implementing an Environmental Management Systems, Waste Management, Water Management and Energy Management. Green Hospitality participants are audited by independent auditors who examine the performance of the hospitality business. These audits ensure that the hospitality business is meeting its requirements and is acting responsibly with respect to the environment.
The Green Hospitality Award requires continual improvement and a real commitment to the environment. If the hospitality business fails to continually improve, meet with the standards or does not act responsibly the Green Hospitality Award can be withdrawn.
All successful participants receive a certificate for display within their premises and will be licensed to use the logo on their stationery and with their publicity.
The Green Hospitality Award commenced in Cork, extended to Waterford in 2006, Limerick/Clare/Kerry (LCK) and Kilkenny/Carlow in 2007 and nationwide in 2008/09. Primary support is delivered in the LCK region through the Regional Waste Management Office (2007 – 2009) and nationally the Environmental Protection Agency adopted the programme into their Green Business Initiative (2008 – 2011)
Green Hospitality Award
The Green Hospitality Award is a multi-staged accreditation scheme which allows hospitality businesses to commence implementing Best Practice Environmental Management at their own pace and at a speed that complements their business profile, whilst encouraging them to implement continuous improvement.
The award offers 5 levels of membership;
Member – Business has joined the programme and has commenced the implementation of an Environmental Management System (EMS)
Bronze – Business has achieved the implementation of an EMS, benchmarked their business in terms of Waste, Water & Energy Management and are compliant with legislative requirements.
Silver – Business has moved beyond the basics and has developed their environmental management programme in all areas
Gold – Business is implementing general best practice across all areas of the operation
Platinum – Business is demonstrating World Class environmental management– Requirements Similar to EU Flower.
All of these categories are judged in a similar manner to the EU Flower with a series of Mandatory Requirements coupled with a scoring system based on a variety of Optional Requirements.
The expectation is that the majority of the businesses who join this initiative will aspire to achieve the Gold Standard.
The tools which will be used will be refinements of the existing tools used within the Green Hospitality Award programme, these include; Best Practice Guide, Benchmark Workbook, Audit Protocol, Templates & Tools and will be complemented by extensive training/workshops within each region during the year.
All businesses also receive an on-site visit and review of their operation which assists them in identifying the targets they should be aiming for.
Generally at the end of each year an audit is also carried out and the business receive the Green Hospitality Award (given that they achieve the specific criteria)