by Rebecca Walker — May 18, 2009—In support of its environmental strategy to address climate change, Marriott International has announced that its global Headquarters building and more than 30 of its hotels in design, development or under construction are expected to achieve LEED certification from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).
Marriott was the first major hotel company in the U.S. with a LEED certified hotel—The Inn and Conference Center by Marriott at the University of Maryland in College Park, says the company.
“LEED certification gives these hotels a ‘green’ stamp of approval that our customers recognize and look for,” says Arne Sorenson, Marriott’s newly appointed President and Chief Operating Officer and co-chair of the company’s Executive Green Council. “Saving energy and reducing waste saves money and helps the environment it’s good for business and a key part of our growth strategy.”
LEED certification provides independent, third-party verification that a building project meets the highest green building and performance measures. LEED-certified buildings: reduce waste sent to landfills; conserve energy and water; are healthier and safer for occupants; and reduce harmful greenhouse gas emissions.
The company is pursuing LEED-Existing Building status for its global headquarters office in Bethesda, Maryland, by the end of the year. Actions taken toward this goal include: diverting 64 percent of its total waste (450,000 pounds) from the landfill; shifting to biodegradable disposable containers in its cafeteria, and then ultimately migrating to all permanent-ware; converting used cooking oil into biodiesel fuel; and providing Connect by Hertz cars for employees who use public transportation or carpool to get to the office, but need to run an errand or attend an off-site meeting mid-day.
For more information, see the company Web site.
