A world-first milestone in sustainable and responsible tourism management has been achieved through an eight-year collaboration between EarthCheck, the world’s leading scientific benchmarking, certification and advisory group and Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces – one of Asia’s largest and finest hotel companies.
50 individual hotels in the Taj Group portfolio, ranging from Rambagh Palace, Jaipur to Taj 51 Buckingham Gate Suites and Residences, London, have been awarded EarthCheck Gold Certification, with data revealing an average 28.6 per cent reduction in energy, water and waste and USD$6,107,585 in savings for the group.
Mr. Stewart Moore, EarthCheck Founder and CEO said that Taj is the first hotel group in the world to have 50 hotels achieve Gold Certification in the same year, having completed a minimum of five years of continuous benchmarking through EarthCheck Certified.
“Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces has confirmed its position as a true worldwide leader in responsible tourism, and a genuine source of inspiration to the international tourism community,” Mr. Moore said.
“We believe what’s good for the planet can also be good for business, and we are thrilled to release such positive data-based evidence of cost and resource savings for these Taj Group hotels as we award certification today,” he said.
Ms. Rakhee Lalvani, Associate Vice President – Public Relations, Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces said “The Taj EARTH sustainability program, which is accredited by the globally recognized certification for environmental excellence in the hospitality industry – EarthCheck – is an initiative which reiterates the company’s conscious efforts towards sustainability and is aligned with the Tata ethos of keeping communities at the heart of doing business.
Taj is committed to environmental sustainability through efficient management of all its assets and resources and we constantly work towards closely integrating our operations with product design and development coupled with responsible sourcing.
We have several on-ground green initiatives that enable us to function in tandem with the environment and over the years, we have implemented innovative changes that now collectively make a significant impact on sustainability and also resonates with our guests.”
Since 2008, Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces enrolled in EarthCheck Certified and have achieved the following milestone saving achievements:
- 558 million megajoules of energy; an 11.9 per cent reduction, equivalent to 172,232 typical 4 person Indian households for a year
- 1.8 billion litres of water; a 24.8 per cent reduction, equivalent to 719 Olympic sized swimming pools
- 11.4 million litres of waste; a 49.3 per cent reduction, equivalent to 344 20ft standard cargo containers
Combined, these resource savings equate to USD$6,107,585.
Initiatives undertaken by individual hotels to manage and reduce their environmental footprints range from a 2.1MW wind turbine generator which supplies 70 per cent of the annual electricity requirements at Rambagh Palace in Jaipur, to a 117m2 ‘Green Living Wall’ which insulates, absorbs noise and pollution and increases energy efficiency at Taj 51 Buckingham Gate Suites and Residences in London.
Currently, 77 Taj Group hotels are enrolled in EarthCheck Certified and 50 are Gold Certified.
EarthCheck Certified is the world’s most rigorous and scientifically accurate program to help the tourism industry benchmark environmental, social, energy, legal and community performance and the design aspects of hotel buildings and their operations against peers in their sector, region and climate zone. Specific global benchmarking standards include sustainable development policy, water and energy utilisation, waste management, paper usage, chemical usage, and corporate social responsibility initiatives.
EarthCheck certification complies with the Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change (IPCC) Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories, the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) Greenhouse Gas Protocol, and the International Organisation for Standardization (ISO) 14064 range of standards for greenhouse gas accounting.
EarthCheck awards Silver Certification after one year, Gold Certification after five years, Platinum Certification after ten years and Master status after fifteen years of continuous benchmarking. EarthCheck Certification, has helped clients in 70 countries realise over $500 million in operational savings while reducing their footprint on the environment.
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About Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces
Established in 1901, Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces is one of Asia’s largest and finest group of hotels, comprising 101 hotels in 63 locations across the globe, including presence in India, North America, United Kingdom, Africa, Middle East, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Bhutan and Nepal. From world-renowned landmarks to modern business hotels, idyllic beach resorts to authentic Grand Palaces, each Taj hotel offers an unrivalled fusion of warm Indian hospitality, world-class service and modern luxury. For over a century, The Taj Mahal Palace, Mumbai, the iconic flagship has set a benchmark for fine living with exquisite refinement, inventiveness and warmth. Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces is part of the Tata Group, India’s premier business house.
EarthCheck is the world’s leading environmental management and professional services group for the travel and tourism industry. EarthCheck is the only company in the world where both the Destination and Company Standards are recognised and approved by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC). Its core product, EarthCheck Certification, has helped clients in 70 countries realise over $500 million in operational savings while reducing their footprint on the environment. Founded on the principals of Agenda 21 in 2000, EarthCheck believes smart business practice and sustainability go hand-in-hand. It focuses on productivity, profitability and performance as well as resource efficiency, eliminating waste and safeguarding the social and natural environment.
