CAPE ELIZABETH, MAINE—Carbonfund.org and The Inn By The Sea have joined forces to launch a new carbon offset program designed specifically to provide guests with a simple way to green meetings and vacations. The announcement was made by Craig Coulter, Partnerships Director at Carbonfund.org. The all new Carbofree Meetings and Carbonfree Vacations programs make it easy for guests to neutralize their travel-generated carbon emissions with support for Carbonfund.org’s domestic tree planting projects, which help reduce greenhouse gases.
The new program is straightforward enough, but educating guests as to why they want to neutralize their carbon footprint can be challenging, according to Maureen McQuade, owner of The Inn By The Sea.
“In the past we tried to inspire guests to think about the environment with fun,” McQuade says. “Children love our class that looks at their ecosystem from a bug’s view point, and we talk to guests about recycling while they build quirky scare crows from old stuff, but suggesting a guest sign on for ‘calculated offsets for their climate footprint’ takes a little explaining.”
Simply put, the new program offers guests the opportunity to check off a box as they pay their bill that adds a donation ranging from $2.50 to $7.00 to offset the carbon dioxide they generated with regional, national or international travel. The Inn By The Sea collects the funds and sends them to Carbonfund.org domestic tree planting projects quarterly.
Trees absorb carbon dioxide, so planting them will eventually neutralize emissions inn guests produced driving or flying to a meeting, or going on vacation. The program offsets something harmful to the environment (CO2) with something good (trees), thereby neutralizing the bad effect. In return, the eco-minded guests receive a Carbonfree Vacation or Carbonfree Meeting bumper sticker and get to enjoy a carbon neutral hotel stay.
Hotel Operations Offset
The Inn By The Sea is also the first Maine Hotel to purchase carbon offsets to cover its hotel operations.
“Climate change is one of the greatest challenges humanity has faced,” says Craig Coulter of Carbonfund.org. “The Inn By The Sea has made some significant improvements to their property to reduce their emissions and purchasing offsets is a step toward ending drastic climate change. We are pleased The Inn By The Sea is the first hotel in Maine to be carbon neutral with offsets for operations, and that it has also partnered with us to create a model hotel program.”
Interest in green hotels for both leisure and business is growing according to the inn’s Director of Sales, Laurie Inness.
“We have a list of green meeting standards, and can offer meeting planners lots of suggestions for an environmentally friendly yet fabulous, fun and productive event,” Inness says. “From ‘Eat Your Plate Luncheon Menus,’ (food that requires no plate, i.e. leaves no waste, such as bread bowls) to locally grown gifts or ecotourism activities, it’s all very Maine and participants just love knowing they are doing the right thing.”
Carbonfree Meetings gives a meeting planner a simple way to hold an environmentally responsible meeting.
Go the The Inn By The Sea or Carbonfund.org.
