Sustainability

For more than 25 years, Fairmont has been an environmental leader among eco-friendly hotels. As one of the first luxury hotel brands to achieve emission reduction targets, we embrace the sustainability initiatives developed by Accor. We believe it is our privilege to enhance genuine experiences and promote a rich cultural exchange within our communities by ensuring long-term stewardship of our planet. From our very own apiary of Bees, to innovative water-reduction techniques, we’re proud to be recognized as having one of the most comprehensive eco-friendly programs in the hotel industry. We challenge everyone – guests, hotel colleagues, partners, and property developers – to take measurable actions to minimize our hotel’s impact on our planet. Programs addressing reforestation, water conservation, energy savings and food waste reduction are an integral part of our hospitality DNA. As we look to the future, our hotels pledge to continue promoting long-term sustainability and stewardship in each of our communities.

The Green Key certificate is a goal we are currently trying to achieve with sustainable practices in place. The Green Key certificate is a leading standard of excellence in the field of environmental responsibility and sustainable operation within the tourism industry. This prestigious certificate represents a commitment by businesses that their tourism establishments adhere to the strict criteria stipulated by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE). A Green Key stands for an establishment’s promise to its guests that by opting to stay with such an establishment, they are helping to make a difference on an environmental and sustainability level. The high environmental standards expected of these establishments are maintained through rigorous documentation and frequent audits.

Our Goals: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle & Regenerate

Caring for our planet means being proactive stewards of our environment. Fairmont Hotels & Resorts recognizes climate change as a global issue we all must address.

We have committed to four environmental priorities:

Reduce our consumption of energy
Reduce water consumption
Reduce the amount of waste we generate
Reduce our greenhouse gas emissions

Our colleagues embrace sustainable practices designed to reduce and lessen the impact of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions on a local and global scale. Our resort monitors, measures, and reports on the GHG emissions. This is one reason why we embrace technology and actively seek to change ingrained behaviors. Our efforts are focused on diverting waste from landfills, recycling, and donating or selling used cooking oil and grease to be turned into biodiesel. Together, each action contributes to a healthier environment for future generations.

Our Role: Caretakers of the Planet

We believe our role as caretakers for our local ecosystems is vital. Our guests and colleagues work and play in locations we strive to protect for future generations. Ecosystems require a delicate balance of conservation and public use. To protect and preserve our ecosystems, our resort supports three key initiatives:

Sustainable design and construction
Support for biodiversity
Integration of sustainable procurement in our purchasing process

These proactive steps are visible in our efforts to reduce our carbon footprint, consumption of energy, and production of waste.

All of our Fairmont-managed golf courses are enrolled in Audubon International Cooperative Sanctuaries and follow their conservation guidelines.

While our legendary courses may be our most visible ecosystems, we believe every business decision we make contributes to our environmental activism efforts.

Our Six Pillars: Proactive Practices

Caring for planet Earth isn’t something we take lightly. And we realize it isn’t just a matter of turning off lights or planting an organic garden, although these are important. Fairmont Hotels & Resorts prioritizes six key pillars to drive our sustainability programs:

Our guests
Our people
Our partners
Our communities
Our buildings
Our food

We recognize environmentally friendly hospitality practices help us fulfill our mission to be stewards of the world’s most diverse and picturesque locations, the places where we are most connected to the land.

We pledge to constantly seek to better the ways in which we impact Mother Earth.

Our Promise: Actions not Words

Sustainability is as much a part of Fairmont hotels as memorable experiences and a warm welcome. Our success as a global citizen is due to the active engagement of our colleagues. Our golf course managers serve the planet through ongoing improvements to the courses through our “Greening Our Greens” program. Our guests actively support our efforts through water and energy conservation. They may reuse towels or choose to participate in local stewardship projects. We choose partners who share our vision and ideals. And we work in concert with our local communities as volunteers for environmental clean-up days, food drives and organic gardening efforts.

Oh, and let’s not forget our bees here at Carton House, Fairmont. Helping the honeybee is our sweetest reward..

Our Communities

Fairmont is proud to partner with like-minded organizations to find inclusive, sustainable hospitality solutions. One of the most visible is our joint effort with Pollinator Partnership. We’re committed to providing financial support, raising awareness and creating and maintaining apiaries and wild bee "hotels", which is why we are home to a bee apiary managed by resident beekeeper, Thomas Clancy.

We’ve installed cameras and hive-tracking devices. This state-of-the-art technology tracks the number of visiting bees and the distance they travel each day. We collect data on the honey and analyze the flower, tree and plant nectars the bees prefer. Then we compare this data to the classification of color and grade of the honey according to the Pfund scale. This is just one more way Fairmont Hotels and Resorts is leading the way in hospitality sustainability.

By working with forward-thinking companies, we hope to encourage our guests to support our efforts in a variety of ways. Whether you choose to drive an eco-friendly vehicle, to host a green meeting or to sample a dessert made with our own honey, you're already taking action to save the environment in a proactive and sustainable manner. Thank you for helping us help the planet.

Green Key Certificate

Educate

We put a huge focus on informing and involving visitors in the measures being taken by an establishment towards being more environmentally friendly and sustainable. We are also ensuring that the staff operating at the establishment are well informed and trained in the fields of environmentally friendly and sustainable practices.

Innovate

Green Key is constantly searching for new and sustainable methods of operation and use of technology in a bid to reduce the overall environmental footprint through lower use of energy, water, and waste. The change helps the establishments engaged in Green Key in saving costs.

Add value

Positive environmental credentials are becoming more and more important to travellers when they are trying to decide on a place to stay. Green Key symbolises a commitment to the environment and sustainable development which is extremely attractive to potential guests.

Promote

After achieving the prestigious Green Key certificate, this can be used by the establishment to showcase its engagement in environmental and sustainability issues.