Hilton Worldwide Introduces Carbon Offset Program for Events and
Meetings in Southeast Asia
Industry-leading initiative reduces environmental impact of events
at no cost to customers
SINGAPORE, Oct. 2, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Hilton Worldwide has
launched a carbon offset program for events and meetings held at
select properties across Southeast Asia. At no additional cost to
customers, Hilton Worldwide will measure carbon generated by all
events at 11 of its properties in Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand,
and purchase carbon credits to offset their environmental impact.
The carbon credits will be used to fund renewable energy projects
in Borneo and Cambodia.
(Photo: http://www.prnasia.com/sa/2012/10/02/20121002113537424047.html )
"Sustainability is a priority to Hilton Worldwide and a central
part of how we do business. For us, it is not just about saying we
are committed to sustainability, it is about taking action," said
William Costley, vice president, operations - Southeast Asia,
Hilton Worldwide. "This program gives organizations and individuals
a sustainable choice for their conferences, meetings or social
events. By offsetting carbon emissions at no additional cost to our
customers, together we are able to give back to the environment and
benefit important renewable energy projects in the region."
Hilton Worldwide is the first and only major multi-brand
hospitality company to make sustainability measurement and
corrective action a brand standard at each of its more than 3,900
hotels globally.
The program applies to events held from October 1, 2012. It covers
all events such as meetings, conferences, weddings and other social
occasions held in the participating hotels' function rooms. Hilton
Worldwide will use its LightStay(TM) Meeting Impact Calculator to
track and measure carbon emissions from each event held. The
calculator takes into account factors such as the event room water
and electricity usage, food consumed, and guest rooms booked.
LightStay(TM) is Hilton Worldwide's proprietary system for
analyzing, reporting and improving sustainability performance at
each of its properties around the world. It offers tools and
resources for hotels to improve performance and share best
practices.
Reporting through LightStay(TM), Hilton Worldwide has achieved its
five-year goal to reduce total waste output by 20 percent; and is
on track to reduce energy consumption and CO2 emissions by 20
percent, and water consumption by 10 percent, by 2013.
Working with Climate Friendly, a carbon offset solutions provider,
Hilton Worldwide has identified two initial beneficiaries of the
carbon offset program in Southeast Asia. They are the Borneo
Rainforest Rehabilitation Project and Cambodia Cookstove
Project.
"Increasingly, organizations are becoming more concerned about the
impact of their business and activities on the environment," said
Costley. "Hilton Worldwide's Carbon Offset Program in Southeast
Asia enables companies to measure the environmental impact of their
events and offset this impact in a meaningful way."
Hotels taking part in the launch phase of the program are:
-- Conrad Centennial Singapore
-- Hilton Singapore
-- Hilton Kuala Lumpur
-- DoubleTree by Hilton Kuala Lumpur
-- Hilton Petaling Jaya
-- Hilton Kuching
-- Millennium Hilton Bangkok
-- Conrad Bangkok
-- Hilton Phuket Arcadia Resort & Spa
-- Hilton Pattaya
-- Hilton Hua Hin Resort & Spa
Supporting resources:
Learn more about Hilton MICE in Southeast Asia( http://www.hiltonmiceasia.com )
Learn more about the Hilton Worldwide Carbon Offset Program in
Southeast Asia(http://www.hiltonmiceasia.com/carbon )
About the Borneo Rainforest Rehabilitation Project
The Borneo Rainforest Rehabilitation Project aims to restore the
rainforests of Sabah, Malaysia and grow the habitable area for
wildlife such as orang-utans, sun bears, gibbons, pygmy elephants
and the critically endangered Sumatran Rhino. Apart from growing
the habitable area for wildlife, the rainforest restoration will
also contribute to lowering greenhouse gas levels in the
atmosphere.
About the Cambodian Cookstove Project
The Cambodian Cookstove Project focuses on the production and mass
distribution of a New Lao Stove, an energy-efficient cookstove.
Nearly 90 per cent of Cambodians depend daily on fuel-wood and
charcoal for cooking, which contributes to the depletion of forest
resources. The New Lao Stove saves 22 per cent of wood and charcoal
compared to traditional stoves. Widespread use of the New Lao Stove
is seen to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and conserve
Cambodia's forests.
About LightStay(TM)
LightStay(TM) is a proprietary system developed to calculate and
analyze sustainability performance. LightStay(TM) measures multiple
utility and operational metrics such as (but not limited to)
energy, water, carbon, housekeeping, paper product usage, waste,
chemical storage, air quality and transportation. In addition,
LightStay(TM) provides social networking tools that allow
properties to communicate and share information, and features a
"meeting impact calculator" element that calculates the
sustainability impact of any meeting or conference held at a
property. Hilton Worldwide is the first multi-brand hospitality
company to make sustainability measurement a brand standard and
recently earned ISO 9001 and 14001 certifications for quality and
environmental management - one of the largest volume certifications
awarded for commercial buildings. In 2010 alone, the company saved
more than $74 million in utility costs through a 6.6 percent
reduction of energy use; 7.8 percent reduction of carbon output; 19
percent reduction of waste output; and 3.8 percent reduction of
water use. www.HiltonWorldwide.com/corporate-responsibility
About Hilton Worldwide
Hilton Worldwide is a leading global hospitality company, spanning
the lodging sector from luxurious full-service hotels and resorts
to extended-stay suites and mid-priced hotels. For 93 years, Hilton
Worldwide has offered business and leisure travelers the finest in
accommodations, service, amenities and value. The company is
dedicated to continuing its tradition of providing exceptional
guest experiences across its global brands. Its brands are
comprised of more than 3,900 hotels and timeshare properties, with
640,000 rooms in 91 countries and include Waldorf Astoria Hotels
& Resorts, Conrad Hotels & Resorts, Hilton Hotels &
Resorts, DoubleTree by Hilton, Embassy Suites Hotels, Hilton Garden
Inn, Hampton Hotels, Homewood Suites by Hilton, Home2 Suites by
Hilton and Hilton Grand Vacations. The company also manages the
world-class guest reward program Hilton HHonors(R).
Visit www.hiltonworldwide.com for
more information and connect with Hilton Worldwide
at www.facebook.com/hiltonworldwide,www.twitter.com/hiltonworldwide, www.youtube.com/hiltonworldwide, www.flickr.com/hiltonworldwideand www.linkedin.com/company/hilton-worldwide.
About Climate Friendly
Climate Friendly is Australia's leading provider of carbon offsets
and renewable energy certificates. It was founded in 2003 and has a
global client base. Its high quality, full service offering means
it is the supplier of choice for organisations around the
globe. www.climatefriendly.com
CONTACT:
Audrey Wong
Hilton Worldwide Asia Pacific
+65 6833 9763
audrey.wong@hilton.com
SOURCE Hilton Worldwide