Second annual Sustainability Report highlights continued carbon reduction measured by custom state-of-the-art eco-software program tracking energy efficiency across the Company’s owned and managed properties
Parsippany, N.J. 2012-09-19 — /travelprnews.com/ — Wyndham Worldwide (NYSE:WYN), one of the world’s largest hospitality companies, today announced a five percent reduction in its carbon footprint over 2010 based on carbon emission per square foot, as it releases its second annual Sustainability Report. As one of the world’s largest hospitality companies, with leading brands in hotel lodging, vacation ownership, vacation rentals and vacation exchange, Wyndham Worldwide was named among the top 100 greenest companies in the United States by Newsweek – number one among hospitality and restaurant companies.
“We view sustainability as part of our culture, and a fundamental part of how we responsibly do business in communities around the world,” says Stephen P. Holmes, chairman and CEO, Wyndham Worldwide. “We are proud of our continued success in this area, which is the result of incredible collaboration and innovation by our associates together with our franchisees, suppliers, and business and community partners. Their dedication and combined efforts continue to produce tremendous results, and add great value to our business and the experience we provide.”
Working towards a goal of reducing emissions by 12 percent by 2016, and driving change in how the Company operates around the world, the Wyndham Green Toolbox, a state-of-the-art eco-software program was developed and implemented in 2010. The program allows the Wyndham Worldwide portfolio of businesses to unify their sustainability tracking and measuring; providing users with resources and tools to reduce energy use, and advance the Company’s global sustainability efforts.
“Prior to the implementation of the Toolbox, the data collection process was fragmented, inefficient and very difficult to implement across our diverse portfolio of facilities,” says Faith Taylor, senior vice president sustainability and innovation, Wyndham Worldwide. “Since the implementation of the Wyndham Green Toolbox, the unified data collection gives individual users and properties a clear picture of their energy usage, and allows our Company to more effectively analyze our collective progress. This implementation also raised important awareness of energy efficiency and resulted in an overall reduction of the Company’s carbon footprint.”
The carbon footprint reduction is featured in the Wyndham Worldwide 2011 Sustainability Report, which provides an overview of the Company’s sustainability initiatives as well as its corporate social responsibility programs. The report is accessible on the Company’s website, and aligns with the Global Reporting Initiative, a comprehensive sustainability reporting framework that is widely used around the world.
Additionally, the report’s Statement of Greenhouse Gas Emissions have been moderately assured by Deloitte & Touche LLP to conform with the Greenhouse Gas Protocol Corporate Accounting and Reporting Standard published by the World Business council for Sustainable Development and the World Resources Institute.
Following are highlights of specific initiatives and accomplishments.
• Co-led the development of a standard method for calculating carbon emissions for hotels and resorts in the industry, and co-launched the Hotel Carbon Measurement Initiative in partnership with more than 20 other hotel chains, the International Tourism Partnership, and the World Travel & Tourism Council.
• Joined the Energy Efficiency program of the Clinton Global Initiative, as well as the U.S. Department of Energy’s Better Buildings Challenge, a program championed by President Obama.
• Continued to lead the development of one of the first in the industry green certification timeshare program recognized by the American Resort Development Association (ARDA), as well as development of the first rental exchange industry eco-resort award for affiliates in North America, Europe and Australia.
• Continued to grow its green supply chain in 2011, with 16 percent of the Company’s total $1.5 billion spend made with suppliers who meet the Wyndham Green Supplier criteria.
• Supported the Arbor Day Foundation and its Rain Forest Rescue® Project, dedicated to saving and protecting more than 30 million square feet of rain forests, with the project’s responsible shade-grown coffee being served in approximately 130 Wyndham Vacation Ownership resorts.
“We are incredibly proud of all of our sustainability efforts, for they have helped create, grow and support our vision,” says Taylor. “We view sustainability as a journey, and not something that you simply attain. Each achievement is another step in that journey.”
For additional details on these highlights and to read the full report, please visit www.wyndhamworldwide.com/corporate-responsibility/wyndham-green.
About Wyndham Worldwide
As one of the world’s largest hospitality companies, Wyndham Worldwide offers individual consumers and business-to-business customers a broad suite of hospitality products and services across various accommodation alternatives and price ranges through its premier portfolio of world-renowned brands. Wyndham Hotel Group encompasses over 7,170 hotels with approximately 608,300 rooms worldwide. Wyndham Exchange & Rentals offers leisure travelers, including its 3.7 million members, access to approximately 100,000 vacation properties located in approximately 100 countries. Wyndham Vacation Ownership develops, markets and sells vacation ownership interests and provides consumer financing to owners through its network of over 160 vacation ownership resorts serving over 813,000 owners throughout North America, the Caribbean and the South Pacific. Wyndham Worldwide, headquartered in Parsippany, N.J., employs approximately 27,800 employees globally.
For more information about Wyndham Worldwide, please visit www.wyndhamworldwide.com
Contact:
Stacy Dixson
Manager, Public Relations
Wyndham Worldwide
973-753-7424
stacy.dixson@wyn.com