Hyatt Well on Way to Meeting Ambitious 2015 Green Goals

I had an opportunity to chat yesterday with Brigitta Witt, vice president corporate responsibility for Hyatt Hotels & Resorts. Brigitta has been leading Hyatt's sustainability efforts for almost four years now. Hyatt has an ambitious plan to reduce its energy use and greenhouse gas emissions by 25 percent by 2015, water use by 20 percent, and waste sent to landfill by 25 percent--also all by 2015. In 1994, Hyatt began tracking energy and water consumption in its managed, full service hotels in North America, and introduced its tracking system to its managed, full service hotels around the world in 2004. In 2009, Hyatt expanded its tracking efforts to incorporate greenhouse gas emissions. Approximately 200 of Hyatt's managed full-service properties are participating in the effort to reduce Hyatt's environmental impact.

Hyatt is in the process of getting select-service properties integrated into the system. Hyatt EcoTrack is the name of the Web-based software program that is used by engineers to input monthly data. Witt told me that Hyatt already has reduced energy, water, waste and greenhouse gas emissions by 10 percent. The reductions are the result of ongoing efforts to make operations more efficient through measures that include, among other things, water and energy efficient equipment and upgrades, diligent management of resource consumption as well as, in some instances, shifting certain operations, such as laundry, to outside vendors. The Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe Resort, Spa and Casino reduced its electricity use by 35 percent by simply implementing “turn it off” programs. Grand Hyatt Singapore installed a water recycling feature that has reduced water use for laundry by 30 percent. Hyatt Regency Atlanta has demonstrated a commitment to recycling since the 1990s, and now expects to divert 360 tons of food waste per year.

I asked Witt what is the primary reason for the company's success so far and this is what she said: "The passion and energy that our associates put behind their efforts. We could not have come so far as a company without their support." All of Hyatt's green efforts fall under the company's Hyatt Earth umbrella. Hyatt Earth is part of a much larger Hyatt Thrive program. Be sure to watch for a longer Green Lodging News article soon summarizing Hyatt's sustainability initiatives.