Predator Ridge Just Got A Little Greener
Predator Ridge Resort is proud to join the EcoStay program – a national initiative that helps hotels measure 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,” said Ingrid Dilschneider, Director of Business Development at Predator Ridge Resort. “It’s a meaningful and effective way of demonstrating our concern for the environment.”
Under the program, the Predator Ridge 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, agriculture and recycling – balancing the impact from the hotel’s operations, and making each hotel night completely ‘carbon neutral’.
The guest’s contribution completely offsets the impact or their stay, and more. Carbon offsets are supplied by LivClean, a top ranked retailer by the David Suzuki Pembina. All LivClean EcoStay Carbon Offset Projects are listed on the CSA Group’s GHG CleanProjectsTM Registry ensuring ISO 14064-2 reporting and independent ISO 14064-3 verification. In addition, each offset tonne is uniquely serialized by CSA Group to ensure proper retirement and avoid double counting. The use of a public registry such as GHG CleanProjectsTM Registry is an important step for transparency and ease of access for users to review and confirm the ongoing tracking of the LivClean EcoStay Projects.
The program also supports on-site environmental upgrades and renovations. The hotel has already made many eco-friendly features and positions themselves as a “Green Minded” resort. With the additional support offered through the EcoStay Program, they are planning to improve their recycling programs, reduce water usage at the hotel and reduce the energy usage in guest suites, all in an effort to further reduce 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. Guests at Predator Ridge Resort can rest assured that their stay is helping to significantly reduce these emissions.
Measuring and reporting the hotels progress is an important step too. Predator Ridge Resort will now use Green Hotels GlobalTM, the internationally recognized online dashboard and benchmarking tool that follows the new Hotel Carbon Measurement Initiative (HCMI 1.1) of the International Tourism Partnership and the World Travel & Tourism Council.
“EcoStay is a terrific program,” Ms. Dilschneider continued, “we’re seeing both leisure and business travelers these days that are seriously concerned about their impact. This is our way of letting guests know that we share those concerns and we’re doing something about it.”
“We’re very proud of the EcoStay program, and the hotels who have embraced it,” said Christina deVries, Director of EcoStay. “These hotels are leaders in environmental consciousness and responsibility. They aren’t just talking about reducing green house gases – they’re doing it.”
Details of Predator Ridge Resort’s carbon footprint, in-house initiatives and carbon offset purchases are available on-line at www.ecostay.ca.
