DENVER—As part of its ongoing efforts to set the pace in the travel and tourism industry, Xanterra Parks & Resorts has published the third edition of its Environmental Sustainability Report. The report is used to measure the progress of the company’s environmental program—called “Ecologix”—and track the company’s environmental impacts as well as steps toward meeting long-term environmental goals.
“We have learned that tracking our performance helps us to better assess where to focus our efforts in the areas of resources and staffing, regulatory compliance and sustainability initiatives,” said Chris Lane, vice president of environmental affairs for Xanterra Parks & Resorts. “While tourism is the largest industry on earth, it is very difficult to measure its environmental impacts. It is our goal at Xanterra to set the pace in the tourism industry by establishing the standards by which other tourist-related organizations can measure themselves. Tracking environmental performance metrics is the only way to know for sure if your environmental programs are actually working as intended. Few companies do this.”
As the first national park concessioner to document specific results of its environmental management system and the first company in the entire tourism industry to create quantifiable environmental performance metrics specific to hospitality, Xanterra can list far-ranging environmental accomplishments. The company uses its own performance metrics model—called “Ecometrix”—to define resource consumption on annual per-room night and per-dollar revenue bases. Ecometrix is the tourism industry’s first environmental performance metrics. The model defines annual totals of resource consumption, allowing Xanterra to focus on environmental goals that are measurable to a high level of accuracy.
Xanterra’s environmental programs and accomplishments have been garnering international attention for years. For example, Xanterra recently began construction on one of the largest renewable energy systems in the United States—a one-megawatt solar photovoltaic system in Death Valley National Park. Other initiatives in the last few years include developing ecologically sound hotel rooms at Zion Lodge, committing to—and achieving the goal of—an absolute reduction target in greenhouse gas emissions, banning the sale of fish species that are harvested in environmentally harmful ways, recycling grease on-site into biodiesel for use in fleet vehicles, and helping to pioneer the development of a mobile propane bottle recycling unit.
Company Honored for its Efforts
Xanterra has received extensive recognition for its environmental programs. For example, the company achieved the prestigious ISO 14001 International Environmental Management System certification for all of its national park operations, the Clean Marina Certification at three locations, the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) certification at two locations and the designation of “Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary” from the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary System (ACSS) for the Furnace Creek Golf Course in Death Valley National Park.
Another section of Xanterra’s Sustainability Report details the company’s long-term goals. Among those goals are to slow global warming, preserve natural resources, minimize hazardous substances and protect the natural environment. Xanterra’s specific targets are spelled out in its 2015 Environmental Vision. The specific goals—based upon the baseline year of 2000, unless otherwise noted—are to decrease fossil fuel usage by 30 percent, increase usage of renewable energy to provide 7 percent of total electricity consumed, and decrease greenhouse gas (CO2) emissions by 30 percent.
Additional goals include: diverting from landfill 50 percent of all solid waste generated, increase purchases of sustainable food items to 50 percent of all company-wide food expenditures, achieve company-wide CAFE (corporate average fuel economy) standard of 35 miles per gallon (EPA rated combined city and highway) for all passenger vehicles (under 10 persons) purchased annually, generate zero hazardous waste and decrease water usage by 25 percent (baseline year 2003). Many of these goals have already been achieved or are near completion.
The report is placed in Xanterra guestrooms in national and state park lodges and resorts across the country. Information in the report is also available at www.xanterra.com/Environmental-Action-364.html.
