Over 4,500 tonnes of carbon emissions from meetings and events offset in the first six months
Hilton Worldwide last week announced the extension of its Carbon Offset Program in Southeast Asia with the inclusion of Conrad Bali and Hilton Bandung in Indonesia. They join 11 existing properties in Southeast Asia already offsetting carbon emissions from events and meetings. Since its introduction on 1 October, 2012, the Hilton Worldwide Carbon Offset Program in Southeast Asia has successfully offset more than 4,500 tonnes of carbon emissions. The amount of carbon offset is equivalent to taking over 470 economy class flights around the world.
At no additional cost to customers, the program measures carbon generated by events and meetings and offsets these through the purchase of carbon credits. The credits are used to fund projects in Borneo and Cambodia that have strong community and environmental benefits beyond carbon. From 1 April, 2013, 13 Hilton Worldwide properties in Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand are part of the program.
“Hilton Worldwide is committed to leading the hospitality industry in sustainable practices,” said William Costley, vice president, operations – Southeast Asia, Hilton Worldwide. “The exceptional results from the first six months of the Hilton Worldwide Carbon Offset Program in Southeast Asia demonstrate the meaningful contribution an organization can make to the environment and communities it operates in.”
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 over 3,900 hotels globally.
The program has been well received by customers including large multinational companies that put a premium on sustainability. In the first six months of the Hilton Worldwide Carbon Offset Program in Southeast Asia, around 70 percent of events and meetings offset were from corporate customers.
“The Carbon Offset Program has definitely drawn great interest from our customers, and there is a growing trend for companies to conduct events, and other aspects of their business, in environmentally responsible ways. The program offers a competitive edge for clients that take sustainability seriously and provides them with an avenue to give back to the environment,” said Heinrich Grafe, general manager, Conrad Centennial Singapore.
Working with Climate Friendly, a carbon offset solutions provider, Hilton Worldwide identified two initial beneficiaries of the carbon offset program in Southeast Asia. They are the Borneo Rainforest Rehabilitation Project and Cambodia Cookstove Project.
Participating hotels in the Hilton Worldwide Carbon Offset Program in Southeast Asia 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, Conrad Bali, and Hilton Bandung.
