Macdonald Hotels & Resorts, the UK's largest privately owned
hotel group, today announced that it has retained the coveted
Carbon Trust Standard.
As part of Macdonald Hotels & Resorts' innovative Room 15
initiative, the market leading hotel group has set itself a target
of reducing electricity and fossil fuel use across the business by
15% by 2015.
The independently verified Carbon Trust Standard is only awarded
to organisations that provide genuine proof of a reduction in their
organisational carbon footprint to help combat the global impact of
climate change. Over the assessment period Macdonald Hotels &
Resorts, with a portfolio of over forty 4 and 5 star hotels and
resorts across the UK and Spain, has reduced its UK CO2 emissions
by 7.5%. Macdonald Hotels & Resorts is committed to further
improvements, and has invested over £700,000 in energy saving
projects, including light sensor devices in corridor / conference
areas, in both the UK and Spain in the last year alone.
Retaining the coveted Carbon Trust Standard is a major
achievement for Macdonald Hotels & Resorts. The award comes
after a string of recent environmental accolades; it was named
2012-2013 AA Eco-Hotel Group of the Year, and received the 2012
Good Egg Award for the commitment to sourcing eggs locally to
reduce food miles.
Referring to the significance of achieving the Carbon Trust
Standard, Gordon Fraser, Finance Director of Macdonald Hotels &
Resorts and Chair of the Room 15 Committee, commented: "I am
incredibly proud of the contribution every employee across the
hotel group has made to ensure we have secured the Carbon Trust
Standard.
"We take our responsibilities seriously, and the issues of
sustainability and energy conservation are a priority. While we
have created an in-house Energy Committee, we still have more
projects to deliver before we meet our Room 15 target for 2015. The
Carbon Trust Standard is testament to the progress we are making
each year, coming closer to where we want to be reducing
electricity and fossil fuel usage by 15%."
Gordon Fraser added, "We were astonished at the impact our
decision to install LED lights in 5 hotels has had in just one
year, saving, over 852 tonnes of CO2.
"We were pleased to be able to report an improvement in carbon
efficiency across our UK operations at the first assessment of 7.9%
per room sold, this has continued with further efficiency gains of
6% at the new certification. With regards our Room 15 targets
we are currently tracking a 5.1 % reduction in electricity, 13.1 %
in gas, and 25 % in LPG gas. I am very confident we are on
track for our 2015 target."
Darran Messem, Managing Director of Certification at the Carbon
Trust commented: "The action taken by MacDonald Hotels &
Resorts sets a fantastic example, both for guests and the
hospitality industry, showing that sustainability and comfort can
go hand-in-hand. Retaining the Carbon Trust Standard demonstrates a
genuine commitment to reducing carbon emissions year-on-year and
playing a part in combating climate change."
Notes to editors
Established in 1990 by Donald Macdonald and colleagues, over the
past 23 years Macdonald Hotels & Resorts has steadily and
successfully expanded from its beginnings in the Scottish highlands
to become the UK's largest privately owned hotel group.
Operating over 40 hotels across the UK and ten resorts
throughout the UK and Spain, the group continues to invest and now
employs over 4,400 staff and operates in excess of 4,500 hotel
rooms.
Firmly committed to excellence, the leading hotelier continues
to invest to offer its guests the highest standards of product and
service delivery across a portfolio of beautiful, individual
hotels.
And whatever the dining occasion; breakfast, business meeting,
conference, banquet or intimate dinner, Macdonald Hotels &
Resorts is proud of its promise to serve only the finest and
freshest produce, with flavoursome dishes always prepared from
whole raw ingredients.
A forward-thinking, environmentally responsible hotel group,
through its 'Room 15' programme led by internal 'green teams',
Macdonald Hotels & Resorts continues to focus on achieving
ambitious, self-imposed energy saving targets. This includes
reducing its electricity and fossil fuel usage by 15% by
2015.
This unwavering commitment to achieving the highest quality
standards in every aspect of the business has seen Macdonald Hotels
& Resorts receive numerous prestigious accolades. This
has included, the MIDAS award for the Best Breakfast 2011/12,
National Customer Service Awards for Leisure and Tourism and the
coveted 2011/2013 Carbon Trust Standard.
