BRUSSELS, BELGIUM—Rezidor, a member of the Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group, has launched a group-wide energy-saving initiative called Think Planet that targets an energy consumption reduction of 25 percent by the year 2016 in all Rezidor hotels across Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The group is currently present in 70 countries where 330+ hotels of the brands Radisson Blu, Park Inn by Radisson and Hotel Missoni are operated, and 100 additional properties are under development.
“Think Planet reinforces Rezidor’s position as one of the industry leaders in terms of sustainability,” said Inge Huijbrechts, director Responsible Business at Rezidor. “Many of our hotels have already introduced progressive, environmentally friendly measures. Now we are spreading these initiatives into all our properties and will focus on key energy-saving investments that will have the biggest impact.”
“At the same time, we are currently faced with significantly rising energy costs in many countries, along with government carbon taxation,” added Wolfgang M. Neumann, executive vice president & chief operating officer at Rezidor. “Moving forward, reducing our energy consumption will also contribute to maximizing our profits.”
Think Planet has been developed and is driven by a specially formed, interdepartmental and cross-regional team at Rezidor—with representatives from Technical Services, Operations, Purchasing, Finance, and Responsible Business. The program’s first phase, a company-wide energy audit, has already been carried out and resulted in a general Energy Action Plan listing the group’s top energy priorities.
Simple Steps Mean A Lot
In hotel operations, Think Planet focuses on creating smart energy habits—such as switching off lights and equipment, turning heating and cooling to eco-mode, and reporting energy related issues that request attention and preventive maintenance. The basic Think Planet tools are simple and low-cost solutions: They comprise daylight and motion sensors for lighting, condensation water recuperation from air-conditioning, and alarms on freezers. Considerable investments are made to completely move to energy efficient lighting in all hotels, install variable extraction systems in the kitchens, and optimize building management systems and heating-, ventilation- and air-conditioning installations.
“We focus on energy saving investments with a return on investment up to seven years,” Huijbrechts said. The energy saving results are monitored and verified through monthly reports on environmental key performance indicators.
A crucial factor of the energy-saving initiative is staff engagement: In line with Rezidor’s unique service philosophy Yes I Can! and with the help of the Think Planet’s mascot, the firefly Lumi, all 35,000+ employees participate in the initiative. Dedicated audio and video trainings inform about smart energy saving habits in housekeeping, kitchen and meeting areas. A monthly “Lumiquiz” and a competition for the most efficient, energy saving hotel of the year ensure continuous employee motivation and involvement.
Think Planet is the newest part of Rezidor’s Responsible Business Program that dates back to the year 1989. In 2001, Rezidor was one of the first international hotel companies to introduce a group-wide program consisting of three main pillars: health and safety of guests and employees, respect for social and ethical issues within the company, and a reduced environmental footprint. Rezidor actively partners with third-party eco labels such as Green Key, supports the charity organization World Childhood Foundation, and has signed the United Nations Global Compact. In 2010, 2011 and 2012, Rezidor was named one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies by Ethisphere.
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