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The Great 'Green' North The Hotel Association of Canada has created a successful benchmark system to rate green and sustainability. Monday, November 24, 2008 Glenn Haussman

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While American hoteliers continue to grapple with the green and sustainability issue, our neighbors in Canada seem to have one big chunk of it figured out: a well-constructed rating system giving travelers an accurate understanding of a hotel’s environmental commitment.

It’s a forceful combination that’s galvanizing a nation into making the rating system an overnight success. But, like any overnight success, the Green Key rating system was years in the making – thirteen, to be exact.

It’s a system that’s already been embraced by about 964 Canadian hotels --- there are 3,384 with more than 30 rooms in all -- and is expanding by more than a dozen new certified properties every day. Canadian citizens are hearing the call while the Canadian government won’t do any business with hotels that aren’t in the program. And it saves hoteliers money, too.  Of all hotels that are 30 rooms or more, 28.5 percent of properties are already enrolled in the program. By the end of 2009, it’s expected that up to 2,000 hotels will be participating.

 “A lot of money and sweat has gone into this and I think we have it finally figured out,” said Tony Pollard, President, Hotel Association of Canada. “We think it will take off really well because we are building up awareness for the consumer and what we have makes sense and works.  Now, major hotel brands are very interested in it and are excited about this.”

Much like what’s happening here in the United States, a unified system didn’t come easy. But the Hotel Association of Canada decided years ago to be at the center of making it happen. Pollard said the Association first tried to get an environmental rating system off the ground back in 1992, but a recession was in full swing and plans stalled.

Yet Pollard stuck with it, not just because it was the right thing to do for Mother Nature, but because he knew it could eliminate costs for hotel owners.

“I approach this whole issue as a business decision and it goes to the bottom line. Hoteliers can reduce costs while also having a strong marketing tool. I had that in mind since Day One,” said Pollard.

Getting Started
Creating a program of this magnitude doesn’t come cheap. The Association tried for several years with outside firms but no matter what they couldn’t get the fixed costs for participating hotels down. Then two things happened: The Association decided to take the thorny task on itself, and the Internet became a dominant and easy-to-use communication mechanism. 

After years of work and a half-million dollar investment, the Association managed to create a system that costs a hotel interested in being certified just $350. It was about that time that the Canadian government made it policy that all government employees and regulatory agencies had to stay at a green hotel when traveling. The Canadian military instituted the same rule as well. 

For many hotels, that translates into a huge chunk of business...an astounding 11 percent of all Canadian hotel stays, said Pollard.

“Suddenly hoteliers realized if they want to pick up on that business they should get involved in it,” said Pollard.

In the last three years more than 800 hotels have been certified.

In mid-2007, Meeting Planners International (MPI) took interest in what was happening. They are the leading association of corporate travel executives. After meeting with the Canadian Hotel Association, MPI threw their considerable weight behind the Green Key program and an overnight success was in the making.

“Suddenly we had a whole lot of people saying they wanted to use this program,” said Pollard.  “This has become the norm for the hotel industry in Canada. It’s now accepted practice to meet the needs of environmental standards. It has worked out very well.

 Getting Green
The program is basically a graduated rating system that applies for select service and full service hotels. Unlike the quality rating systems from Mobil and AAA, for example, there are no penalties for a hotel being what it’s meant to be.

To join, hotels simply go online and register for the program and go through a five-section audit about the specific property. The questions examine the corporation, conference and meeting facilities, housekeeping, engineering and F&B departments. GMs typically bring in their top people from each department to assist in the audit, since there are 140 questions for the engineering department alone focusing on hazardous waste management, infrastructure, air quality and solid waste management.

In about two to three hours, the system generates a rating with a tailor-made property-specific report. It’s also designed to help hoteliers get an even better rating, so it also provides recommendations for improvements that can be done at the property.

Hotels get a plaque to hang in their lobby and spot audits are conducted to make sure everyone stays truthful.

“The staff and the guests are fully aware of what is going on. This is happening from the bottom up. Hotels end up with a green committee and they do things collectively because it is important to them. I never anticipated this, yet it seems to happen in every hotel,” said Pollard. “This is not a fad, it is a trend.”