By Greentech
Lead Team: Best Western Plus Mirage Hotel & Resort has joined the EcoStay
Program, an initiative to help hotels assess their carbon footprint, identify
and fund reduction strategies and balance off their greenhouse gas emissions
through carbon offsetting.
“We’re
very excited to be part of the EcoStay Program. It’s a meaningful and effective
way of demonstrating our concern for the environment,” said Mark Morad,
general manager of Best Western Plus Mirage Hotel & Resort.
As part of
the program, Best Western Plus Mirage Hotel & Resort will collect two
dollars per night from hotel guests. Funds will be used to purchase carbon
offsets in support of emission-reducing projects across the country such as
renewable energy, energy efficiency, composting and recycling – making each
hotel night carbon neutral.
The guest’s
contribution offsets the impact or their stay and more. Carbon offsets are
supplied by LivClean, a retailer by the David Suzuki Pembina and each project is registered
on the Canadian
Standards Association’s (CSA) GHG CleanProjects Registry
ensuring ISO 14064-2 reporting and independent ISO 14064-3 verification.
In addition,
each offset tonne is serialized by CSA to ensure proper retirement and avoid
double counting.
The program
supports on-site environmental upgrades and renovations, reducing the hotel’s
impact. A typical 150 room Canadian hotel can produce three tonnes of
greenhouses gases each day. That’s the same as driving 200 cars, heating and
lighting 100 homes or taking 5,000 airplane flights.
“We’re
seeing both leisure and business travelers these days that are seriously
concerned about their carbon footprint. This is our way of letting guests know
that we share those concerns and we’re doing something about it,” Morad
added.