Home Energy Management Hotel Association of Canada Launches ‘Canada Goes Green’ Initiative

Hotel Association of Canada Launches ‘Canada Goes Green’ Initiative

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OTTAWA, ONTARIO—The Hotel Association of Canada (HAC) recently announced that it has launched its “Canada Goes Green” initiative. At a press conference held at the Marriott Chateau Champlain, Montreal, the HAC, accompanied by lodging and energy representatives from across the country, declared that as one of the largest industries in the world, it is time to make changes to the way in which it consumes energy.

Lodging properties make up the fourth most energy intensive type of commercial space. Through the Canada Goes Green initiative, hoteliers will commit to making a significant and positive environmental impact by improving energy performance, a move that will ultimately reduce operating costs as well. HAC’s contribution to this initiative is its Green Key Eco Rating Program.

“The program is a graduated rating system designed to recognize properties that are committed to improving their environmental performance,” says Tony Pollard, HAC president. “Designed by hoteliers for hoteliers, the belief behind the program is simple; environmental leadership and responsibility makes business sense.”

Kevin Walker, HAC chair and owner of the Oak Bay Beach Hotel and Marine Properties in Victoria, B.C, announced that an additional 12 hotel companies (amounting to more than 1,000 properties and 126,000 rooms) now support the HAC Green Key Program.

“We are particularly delighted that Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, as a pioneer of the green hospitality movement, is on board with all of its 21 Canadian properties, Atlific with its 30 properties, InnVest REIT with all 131 properties and CHIP Hospitality—a participant since 1999—with its 30 properties,” Walker says.

“Our objective is a 10 percent reduction in energy across our industry,” adds Walker. “This will ultimately prevent 580 million pounds of carbon dioxide emissions annually—the equivalent of removing 50,000 cars from the road.”

For more information on the Hotel Association of Canada, click here.

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