PARSIPPANY, N.J., 2014-5-14 — /Travel PR News/ — Using unique, industry-leading ideas, Wyndham Worldwide (NYSE: WYN), one of the world’s largest hospitality companies, again demonstrated its continued leadership and innovation in sustainability best practices, achieving a total 12 percent reduction of its North American locations that are part of the program since first starting the U.S. Department of Energy’s Better Buildings Challenge.
The Better Buildings Challenge is a national initiative launched by President Obama in 2011 with the goal of making American commercial, multifamily and industrial buildings 20 percent more energy efficient in ten years. This program aligns with the Company’s goals to reduce carbon emissions by 16 percent by 2016 and by 20 percent by 2020. As of 2013, Wyndham Worldwide has reduced its global footprint in over 40 countries of its owned, managed and leased assets by 12.7 percent based on carbon per square footage.
“This latest milestone of meaningfully reducing our carbon footprint is the result of our commitment to exploring and adopting innovative environmental practices, as it reduces costs, fosters the efficient use of resources, and ultimately supports both near- and long-term profitability,” said Faith Taylor, senior vice president sustainability and innovation, Wyndham Worldwide. “We believe it is our people, our culture and our strategies that have enabled us to get where we are today. The dedicated efforts of employees at every level of the Company embody our culture of responsible sustainable practices and reflect the strong values that guide our company.”
Wyndham Worldwide reduced its energy through:
• energy efficiency upgrades, including retrofitting LED lighting throughout parking structures at two of its committed properties;
• providing energy education and training courses for all levels of associates across committed properties;
• expanding the WVO Green Certification Program, one of the first certification programs for the timeshare industry. The program tracks 26 requirements in categories such as energy use, water use, waste reduction, indoor air quality and education;
• achieving LEED Certification for Existing Buildings, Operations and Maintenance for the Company’s Carmel, Ind., Vacation Plaza corporate offices by reducing energy consumption by 29 percent, reducing domestic water consumption by more than 15 percent through water-efficient faucets and fixtures, and reducing outside water consumption by 50 percent with water-efficient irrigation and plant selections.
“By committing to cut energy use by 20 percent, Better Buildings Challenge partners are demonstrating how businesses and organizations are reducing our nation’s energy bill, creating American jobs, and protecting the environment,” said Dr. David Danielson, Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy at the U.S. Department of Energy. “With commitments representing more than 3 billion square feet of floor space, these partners are leading the way to a cleaner energy economy.”
Focusing on investing in its people, culture, and increasing value to shareholders, over the past eight years, Wyndham Worldwide has grown into the market leader in each of its business segments, and into the single best performing stock on the NYSE since the economic downturn in 2008. Today, the Company is consistently named among the industry’s best places to work, earning continued recognition as a global leader in such areas as sustainability, diversity, workplace experience and human rights. Most recently, Wyndham Worldwide was named to the Dow Jones Sustainability North America Index for the first time, and was recognized as a 2014 Silver Class Sustainability Leader in RobecoSAM’s annual Sustainability Yearbook.
About the Better Buildings Challenge
In 2013, Better Buildings Challenge partners successfully reduced the energy use of their buildings and industrial facilities by more than 2.5 percent. These energy savings are the equivalent of about $100 million a year. Through participation, partners have saved 36 trillion Btus and $300 million since the Better Buildings Challenge began. Program partners continue to demonstrate progress in achieving 20 percent energy savings in ten years, with annual energy savings of 2.5 percent or $300 million.
There are more than 190 organizations participating from local governments, school districts and universities, to commercial real estate, healthcare and manufacturing companies. Through the Better Buildings Challenge, partners have created and shared more than 110 solutions including showcase projects and implementation models to help the marketplace move more quickly to adopt energy efficiency measures. In addition, the Challenge includes a network of financial and utility allies to assist partners in overcoming financial and data access barriers across the marketplace.
For a detailed progress report on the Better Buildings Challenge and to find out more about the Challenge participants and their energy efficiency projects, visit: www.energy.gov/betterbuildingschallenge.
About Wyndham Worldwide
One of the world’s largest hospitality companies, Wyndham Worldwide (NYSE: WYN) provides a wide range of hospitality products and services through its global portfolio of world-renowned brands. The world’s largest hotel company based on the number of properties, Wyndham Hotel Group is home to many of the world’s best-known hotel brands, with approximately 7,500 franchised hotels and 646,900 hotel rooms worldwide. Wyndham Exchange & Rentals is the worldwide leader in vacation exchange and the world’s largest professionally managed vacation rentals business, providing more than 5 million leisure-bound families annually with access to over 107,000 vacation properties in over 100 countries through its prominent exchange and vacation rental brands. The industry and timeshare ownership market leader, Wyndham Vacation Ownership develops, markets, and sells vacation ownership interests and provides consumer financing to owners through its network of over 190 vacation ownership resorts serving approximately 907,000 owners throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and the South Pacific. Based in Parsippany, NJ, Wyndham Worldwide employs approximately 32,800 associates globally.
For more information, please visit www.wyndhamworldwide.com.
Contact:
Stacy Dixson
Manager, Public Relations
Wyndham Worldwide
973-753-7424
stacy.dixson@wyn.com