by Brianna Crandall — October 10, 2016 — The City of Los Angeles and the Los Angeles Green Lodging Program in partnership with Green Seal have just announced the Green4Green incentive program to help Los Angeles area hotels go green, setting the pace for other cities.
The incentive is intended to encourage hotels to join the Los Angeles Green Lodging Program by getting certified as environmental leaders through Green Seal. The program covers 50% of a hotel’s application fee to get Green Seal certified and 25% of the first-year monitoring fee.
By becoming Green Seal-certified, hotels will offer a healthier and greener experience to the millions of visitors who stay in the city’s hotels every year. Additionally, hotels that get certified will also be helping Los Angeles meet its 2020 goals for reduced energy and water use, note the partners.
Other benefits of getting certified and participating in the Green4Green program:
- Participating hotels can save as much as $2,400 on application and monitoring fees.
- Certified hotels see financial savings on utilities and waste disposal.
- Green venues are considered essential by many convention and meeting planners.
- Certification helps eco-conscious visitors identify and choose green hotels when planning to visit Los Angeles.
- Hotels will be promoted on the Web sites of the City of Los Angeles and the Los Angeles Tourism and Convention Board: Discover Los Angeles.
- Green Seal offers resources and support to help hotels promote their certification to their guests and corporate clients.
- Being certified makes it easier for hotels to be in compliance with state and local requirements.
Green Seal certification is a stringent environmental hotel certification, according to the organization. By submitting to a thorough review and on-site audit, hotels help protect human health and the environment by reducing waste, conserving water and energy, and instituting green management policies that include environmental purchasing and hazardous substance handling. These are all requirements of the Green Seal Standard for Hotels and Lodging Properties (GS-33), on which the certification is based.
Partners in the LA Green Lodging Program include the City of Los Angeles (Mayor Eric Garcetti’s office, Board of Public Works, LA Bureau of Environment & Sanitation, Los Angeles Department of Water and Power), the Los Angeles Tourism and Convention Board, the Better Buildings Challenge, and Green Seal.
A Webinar about the grant and how to get certified will be held at a future date; e-mail Green Seal Marketing to be notified as more details are available.
Visit the Green Seal Web site for more information on the Green4Green incentive program, the LA Green Lodging Program, how Green Seal certification to GS-33 Hotels and Lodging Properties helps hotels protect human health and the environment, and the process for a business to pursue Green Seal certification.
