AccorHotels wins major sustainability award in Australia
Author: www.hotelmanagement.com.au Date Posted:8 November 2017
AccorHotels has won the Large Business Sustainability Leadership Award in Australia’s s most prestigious sustainability awards, the Banksia Awards.
The Banksia Awards are facilitated by the Banksia Foundation, a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to the recognition of excellence in sustainability. The awards are the most prestigious and longest running sustainability awards in Australia and reward Australian individuals, communities, business and government for innovation, achievement and commitment to sustainability.
Announced this week (Nov 1) in an awards ceremony at Sydney’s Doltone House, AccorHotels was recognised for its commendable work in reducing emissions, food waste and its commitment to positive and sustainable hospitality. Other finalists in the Large Business Sustainability category included Country Road, LUSH Cosmetics and Charles Sturt University.
AccorHotels Chief Operating Officer – Pacific, Simon McGrath, said the organisation takes corporate responsibility seriously and winning this award is an honour.
“We are incredibly proud to have won this year’s Banksia Sustainability Leadership Awards and it is a true reflection on the amazing work of our employees and their dedication to reducing the impacts associated with our operations,” he said.
“As Australia’s largest hotel operator, with over 200 hotels, we strive relentlessly to reduce our emissions and we are acutely aware of our responsibility to provide responsible and positive hospitality experiences to each of our 6 million guests who come through our doors each year. To have been recognised for this is very rewarding and we dedicate this award to our employees.”
In accepting the award, AccorHotels Vice President of Marketing and Communications, Bridie Commerford, said, “Since our first environmental charter in 1998, AccorHotels has actively embedded sustainability into our operations and we are incredibly honoured and proud to receive the Banksia Award for leadership in sustainability.
“In 2017, we produced our first Corporate Responsibility Report for Australia which outlines the work we are doing to provide a positive hospitality experience for our guests and employees,” she said.
“From the installation of a 100kW Solar Photovoltaic system on the roof of Pullman Quay Grand Sydney Harbour, to the guests whose towel re-use enables us to fund the planting of over 14,000 trees in 2016 across 4 locations including the Great Barrier Reef catchment, and our chefs who are committed to reducing food waste by 30% over the next 3 years, this award recognises the dedication of the whole AccorHotels team in delivering on our sustainability targets.”
AccorHotels Category Equipment Manager for E-procurement and Sustainability, Tom Mallet,
has been a key driver of AccorHotels sustainability program and initiatives, and also accepted the award on behalf of AccorHotels.
AccorHotels’ sustainability program, Planet 21, spans six key pillars including People, Guests, Partners, Communities, Buildings and Food, with commitments aligned with the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals. AccorHotels Corporate Responsibility Report details the group’s work and achievements in these areas. For example, in 2016 the Group’s Indigenous Employment Program grew by 26%, breaking through the 500 employee milestone for the first time; 6,390kgs of food, equal to 19,170 meals, were donated to OzHarvest; and nationally over 14,000 trees were planted in conjunction with Greening Australia.
