- 
What Shade of Green Are You?
by Kristine Steffen, IIDA, CID
Director of Interior Design
Architectural Concepts, Inc.
Sustainability is the catchphrase of the decade. Global warming is now an acknowledged Crisis, and we’ve finally created public concern for our contribution to the destruction of our planet. Still, a fundamental question remains unanswered: what, exactly, are we trying to sustain? And do we want to sustain or improve?
A decade ago, the term “eco-friendly accommodation” usually involved camping in the wilderness, eating organic vegetables and recycling your trash. Now the term is increasingly becoming more compatible with luxury vacations as a rising number of resorts incorporate “green” practices into their properties.
Although sustainability has been more closely associated with commercial and government buildings, it has finally caught the attention of developers of vacation properties.
The main motivation for this is cultural momentum. Thanks to Al Gore’s documentary “An Inconvenient Truth,” we now know we leave behind a carbon footprint. A few years ago we didn’t even know we had one! Society has become much more educated when it comes to environmental issues. A growing number of vacationers want to know that limited resources are not being depleted for their travel leisure.
Another motivation is pragmatism and competition. Part of what is driving the greening of the resort industry is a conscience effort to promote a property as socially ethical, differentiating it from the multitude of other resorts. Their premise is that they are doing something good for the environment, and you can too, by “owning a piece of the pie.”
And finally there is the feasibility and profitability of creating a green resort. Today there are numerous environmental programs, energy-efficient systems, cost-effective products, and government incentives to make sustainability easier than ever. Developers are finally looking at long term benefits versus up front expenses.
What shade of green is your property?
As resorts try to establish themselves as leaders in the sustainability movement, three basic categories become apparent.
The most conservative approach can be classified as Green-Lite. Novices to the whole green movement, they are going green for brownie points. They are not hyper-focused on sustainability because it is too far removed from other things that are critical to them. If and when they do get involved, they want the quickest, easiest solutions: recycling, energy efficient appliances, and eco-friendly materials.
The basic fundamental approach can be classified as Green-Classic. These properties are trying to sustain the best parts of our current way of life – material prosperity, indulgence, personal freedom - while reinventing the institutions that have led to our current social and environmental crisis. They promise to provide us with ever-rising standards of living while simultaneously healing the planet.
Then there is Green-Hybrid. This is the most radical approach. Instead of confronting ecological issues on by one, they approach it universally. This means leaving behind the current way of thinking, and beginning to see ourselves as part of an infinitely complex, ever-changing system. It is a cultural approach rather than a goal.
Don’t fret too much if you think you’re not “green enough” - the fact that you’re even contemplating if you’re green enough means you’re on the right track. Instead, pick a shade, any shade, and get to work.
EMS (Environmental Management Systems)
Making a profit and doing the right thing don’t need to be at odds. One of the most critical elements of becoming an environmentally friendly resort is the adoption of a new culture that extends throughout the entire organization, including Owners, the local community, and everyone you do business with. This is called an environmental management system (EMS). The World Travel and Tourism Council's GREEN GLOBE international certification has developed an EMS standard specifically for the travel and tourism industry. www.Ec3global.com
An EMS is defined as a comprehensive organizational approach, designed to achieve environmental care in all aspects of operations. An effective EMS can help a property assure its owners of its commitment to environmental management as partners in programs such as recycling, linen and towel reuse, etc. It can set specific and realistic performance objectives and targets, and allow the owners to monitor to see if the objectives and targets are being met. Most importantly, an EMS can improve efficiency and reduce operating costs. In fact, the savings alone should be sufficient for any property to commit to implementing an EMS.
So what constitutes an EMS? The principal components of an EMS, as defined by GREEN GLOBE, include the following:
1. An environmental policy that clearly communicates the organization's commitment to maintaining the social, cultural and physical environment.
2. An action plan to guide the property's actions and expenditure of resources.
3. The implementation or operations of the EMS that encompasses all of the property's actions relative to the environment, including awareness and training, staff procedures, incentive programs, and community outreach.
4. Corrective action or monitoring to ensure that the EMS performs as expected, allowing for responsive actions to capture things such as leaking toilets and chemical spills.
5. Documented management review of performance against established objectives and targets.
Many will say, we already have resorts that are operating in an environmentally responsible manner. That is to say that the resort is currently composting much of its organic solid wastes, or that guestrooms have low flow showerheads installed. These are called environmental programs. An EMS is the integration of those programs under a comprehensive organizational system. An EMS takes the following approach to addressing its environmental issues.
First, an assessment is done to determine what improvements can be made, how much they cost, and what types of changes in consumption or waste generation can be expected. The assessment also allows you to establish a baseline against which change can be measured.
Next, the property sets objectives, such as reducing water consumption for the entire property by 10% or cutting energy costs by 30%. Each objective is supported by a set of specific targets, such as introduce towel and linen reuse program by June 31st, or install low-flow showerheads in guest rooms by August 1st. The individuals, or departments, responsible for achieving the targets are identified in an action plan. It is important to remember that the greatest improvements are made through changes in staff procedures.
Finally, the impact or results, in terms of changes from the baseline, must be measured and documented. This provides the necessary feedback to determine whether the EMS is working.
One of the most comprehensive environmental programs in North America was established by Canadian-based Fairmont Hotels and Resorts with their Fairmont Green Partnership. They have literally written the book on sustainable best practices. Initiatives include recycling and organic waste diversion in the kitchens, retrofitting energy efficient lighting, creating rooftop herb gardens, purchasing green power, and redistributing gently used goods and food to those in need. Fairmont was awarded the prestigious 2006 Global Tourism Business Award, presented by the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTCC), for its commitment to sustainable tourism. Fairmont has certainly demonstrated what it means to be a “Green-Hybrid.”
What shade of green are you?