PORTLAND, ORE.—The Doubletree Hotel & Executive Meeting Center Portland-Lloyd Center announced that the property has won the Grand Prize at the 2007 Metafore Innovation Awards. This prize is awarded to the company that offers product and service innovations for reducing or offsetting climate change through new methods and processes. The prizes recognize companies across the United States and internationally.
The awards were announced at the 2007 Corporate Climate Response Conference in Chicago. This two-day conference included a panel discussion by the awards finalists, as well as presentations on sustainability and climate change strategy by experts representing companies such as Ford Motor Companies, McDonald’s USA, and IBM, among others.
The Innovation Award is the latest acknowledgement of the Doubletree Lloyd Center’s pioneering on sustainability issues. The Doubletree was the first lodging property in Oregon to be certified with a Green Seal “green hotel” designation, and they have been honored this year by both the City of Portland and the State of Oregon for their efforts.
Award Sparks More Goal Setting
“This is a great honor for us,” says Steve Faulstick, the property’s general manager. “Being recognized as a national leader for our climate change and sustainability programs is a great credit to our employees. And being recognized with such a distinguished group of companies inspires us to take further steps towards being better environmental stewards.”
The property has partnered with The Climate Trust, a local nonprofit, to reduce its carbon footprint through operational changes and ongoing programs, such as commuter incentives. These programs are having a big impact—the Doubletree’s 2007 Commute Choices Survey report showed an annual reduction of 140,835 vehicle miles and 7,802 gallons of gas saved. These savings equate to a reduction of 1,031 pounds of hydrocarbons, 7,972 pounds of carbon monoxide, and 142,430 pounds of carbon dioxide.
The Doubletree worked with The Climate Trust to engineer a “Carbon Calculator” tailored specifically for the hotel. This tool allows guests and groups to determine the global warming impact of their stay and events. The donations from the Doubletree groups and individual guests will go towards several Portland-based projects that The Climate Trust has helped fund. These projects reduce the overall carbon dioxide emissions released into the atmosphere through improved transportation and increased energy efficiency in both commercial and residential buildings.
Contributing to these projects helps allow guests and groups to make their stays at the Doubletree Lloyd Center carbon-neutral. The Doubletree has established a designated website, www.doubletreeportlandgreen.com, to host the Carbon Calculator, and to educate their guests about their sustainability programs. The site contains information about green meeting packages, mass transit, and the property’s waste reduction programs.
