Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts has been named the world’s most sustainable hotel group for the second year running by world-renowned certification body Green Globe.

The international hospitality firm has also been hailed a “global sustainability leader” in the ‘Green Globe Report 2017’, with more than 50 per cent of its certified properties worldwide achieving the entity’s prestigious ‘Gold’ status – an accolade bestowed on hotels and resorts that have achieved Green Globe certification for five years or more.

These properties have been independently audited across 385 performance indicators and consistently met or exceeded the standards and criteria this rigorous certification process entails.

“This year is an important milestone on the Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts sustainability journey,” said Green Globe CEO Guido Bauer.

“More than half of all Green Globe certified hotels in the group have achieved Gold status. This is a true indication of the consistent dedication that management and staff have put in and continue to give while doing the best for the planet and their people. It shows that sustainability is now woven into the operational fabric of the hotels.”

For the last 25 years, Green Globe has set the highest standards of sustainability certification for the travel and tourism industry.
The key requirement is for properties to execute an active Sustainability Management Plan that delivers performance in the areas of socio-economic contribution; environmental protection; and the preservation of culture and heritage. For each Green Globe certified Mövenpick hotel and resort, this plan is activated via an in-house green team and, to ensure verification of these actions, an independent on-site inspection is regularly conducted.

Best practice examples highlighted in the Green Globe report include: Mövenpick Hotel Stuttgart Airport in Germany for cutting energy consumption by 36 per cent and rolling out an effective CO2 reduction programme; Mövenpick Hotel Ibn Battuta Gate in Dubai achieving an annual waste reduction of 60 metric tonnes; Mövenpick Resort El Quseir in Egypt developing an artificial reef to protect endangered coral reefs, which are vital to sustaining the bio-diversity; Mövenpick Resort Sharm El Sheikh‘s organic farm featuring 2,232-sq-m of fruit trees, vegetables and flowers, generating fresh produce for the hotel’s kitchen and offering guests an authentic experience; and Mövenpick Resort Bangtao Beach in Phuket installing an innovative high-tech water supply machine.

All of these initiatives are part of Mövenpick’s successful CSR programme Shine, which focuses on three pillars - Environment, Employer and Social Sustainability - with Education an important thread common to each.
Shine’s overarching aim is to give back to the communities where the company operates its properties and as a major facet of each hotel’s Sustainability Management Plan, is crucial to Mövenpick achieving its Green Globe certification.

Looking to 2018, the hospitality firm has set ambitious Green Globe targets for its new and existing properties, explained Olivier Chavy, president and CEO, Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts.

“I am immensely proud of what we have achieved in 2017, with our Green Globe ‘Gold’ status cementing our position as a hotel group raising the benchmark for sustainable hospitality practices, but as a company that never rests on its laurels, we will push the boundaries next year, ensuring our new and existing properties not only uphold, but exceed the standards we have set,” he said.

“Adhering to Green Globe’s stringent criteria not only ensures we can legitimately meet our ambitions to protect and contribute to the destinations where our hotels and resorts are located, but also assures guests they are staying with a truly ‘green’ hotel group.” - TradeArabia News Service