InterContinental Genève eco-responsible approach

INTERCONTINENTAL GENÈVE UNVEILS ITS GOOD RESOLUTION FOR 2020:
COMBINE SUSTAINABILITY AND FIVE-STAR SERVICE.

InterContinental Genève commits to offset the CO2 gas emissions of all the events organized in its conference premises.

During the traditional Fête des Rois, the newly appointed General Manager, Jurgen W. Kreipl, has announced the growing commitment of the InterContinental Genève hotel to environmental protection.

From 1st January 2020, all events organized at the hotel will have their carbon footprint offset, at no additional cost to customers.

This action is made possible thanks to the partnership with the nonprofit organisation MyClimate, offering solutions for active engagement in sustainability and climate protection. With the help of MyClimate CO2 emission measurement tools, InterContinental Genève will be able to calculate and offset the emissions from events taking place in its 2,000 m2 of conference spaces.

For the calculation, the system takes into account the emissions of the following categories:

• Energy, heat, freshness, water
• Laundry
• Mobility
• Catering (food and beverages)
• Administration
• Waste and recycling

This action is part of the eco-responsible approach pursued by InterContinental Genève since 2014, when the Green Team has been created, the environmental chart has been set-up and the establishment has obtained the Green Globe label.

Since then, the establishment’s efforts to guarantee a high-end eco-responsible service have multiplied and sustainable development has become the cornerstone of the business strategy. The hotel’s environmental and societal actions support the United Nations objectives and are applied daily in all departments, thanks to the strong commitment of the teams.

In 2019, the hotel proudly celebrated achieving the Green Globe sustainability certification for the 6th consecutive year, claiming the Gold rating mention.

Among the many environmental actions implemented:

• the use of 100% renewable energy (water from Lake Geneva) to cool the establishment, which results in significant savings in electricity and reduces CO2 gas emissions. (Geneva Lake Nations GIS project since 2007)
• the harvest of foodstuffs for the benefit of Partage, the Genevean food bank. 54kg of food and sanitary product were harvested in 2019
• the recycling of solid soaps, by the Ensemble association, which employs people with disabilities to transform soaps into new hygiene products. 11 kg of soaps were repackaged in 2019
• the elimination of disposable plastics, including straws
• the supply from local producers. Most of our fruits and vegetables come from the Ferme de Budé market, located just behind the hotel
• the installation of two hives on the roof of the hotel, in partnership with a local beekeeper
• the recycling of all materials that can be sorted (aluminum, paper and cardboard, glass, PET, coffee capsules, batteries). In 2019, 2.6 tons of PET were recycled
• the collection of clothing, twice a year, for the benefit of the Red Cross. In 2019 the collections represent 200 kg of clothes
• the implementation of LED bulbs in all hotel rooms and offices. The old bulbs were given to Serbeco who takes care of their reuse
• the constant search for energy performance for the new equipment acquiredthe recycling of computer equipment for the benefit of Computeraid, a charity association, which recondition and redistribute the equipment, in order to guarantee equitable human development and environmental sustainability.

“The challenge for 5-star hotels in the coming years is confer to luxury a new perspective, more sustainable and attentive to the environment. Making conferences and events taking place at the hotel neutral, in terms of CO2 emissions is another step by InterContinental Genève to work in an ecoresponsible way, while continuing to offer high-end service.

With this new action, we wish to elevate the establishment among the Geneva 5-star hotels most committed to the safeguard of our territory, on which tourism depends” declares the recently appointed General Manager of InterContinental Genève Jurgen W. Kreipl.

Our actions are part of the Green Engage program of InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG). IHG Green Engage, created in 2009, measures the environmental impact of hotels group, monitors their energy and water consumption and their waste management. This program helps the hotels of the group meeting their commitment to operate the establishments sustainably, while saving energy.

The IHG Group has set itself several objectives by 2020, such as: reducing its carbon footprint by 7% per room occupied, unique cooperation with suppliers who meet IHG environmental criteria, increasing diversity in terms of gender and nationality of its employees, training 40,000 people through IHG Academy.

In addition, IHG was the first hotel group to announce the elimination of small plastic bottles of shower bath, shampoo and cream in favor of refillable dispensers by 2021.