Wyndham has announced that it has reached its carbon emissions goal six years ahead of schedule. The Company achieved a 20 percent reduction in carbon emissions (measured on a per square foot basis), well-surpassing its goal. The reduction is equivalent to saving more than 14 million gallons of gasoline.
“This is a huge achievement for a company with such a wide and diverse global portfolio, and especially one in the hospitality industry,” said Stephen P. Holmes, chairman and chief executive officer, Wyndham Worldwide. “Our commitment to sustainability as one of our top strategic priorities is critical to the long-term success of our business, and our continued drive is the result of an incredible commitment that aligns sustainability with effective business operations.”
As one of the largest hospitality companies, Wyndham Worldwide accommodates millions of travelers every day through its hospitality portfolio that includes everything from hotels to vacation ownership resorts to vacation rentals to holiday parks in nearly 100 countries. With operationally controlled assets including owned, managed and leased properties in all of its business units, the Company tracks, measures and reports on more than 50 million square feet across its global hospitality portfolio.
As further proof of its industry-leading best practices, Wyndham Worldwide was once again named to the Dow Jones North America and World Sustainability Indices for the third consecutive year. The Company is one of three hospitality companies, and is the Index Leader for the hospitality sector for both the North American and World indices. The Company showed strong performance across the assessed criteria, specifically in the areas of its Environmental and Economic programs. The Dow Jones Sustainability Index is one of the most recognized sustainability performance rating tools, with the Index identifying leaders in the areas of sustainable economic, environmental and social performance.
“Our progress has earned us industry distinctions that recognize the value we aim to create for our shareholders, our associates, our partners and communities, and is a reflection of our dedicated teams and partnerships that deliver tangible and meaningful results,” said Faith Taylor, senior vice president, corporate social responsibility, Wyndham Worldwide. “These accolades validate our ongoing journey. But, we never rest on any success, and we continue to build on our success and raise the bar. Today, we are announcing our new goal to reduce our energy and water by 25 percent by 2025.”
Since setting its goal in 2010, Wyndham Worldwide has reduced its carbon emissions through:
- the Wyndham Green Toolbox, a proprietary state-of-the-art eco-software program that tracks and measures environmental impact for the Company’s wide range of hospitality and office properties;
- becoming more efficient in energy and water usage. Energy production and consumption (electricity, natural gas, fuel oil, propane) is the leading cause of carbon emissions. Water conservation reduces the amount of water used, and therefore reduces the energy demand to produce and move the water;
- an environmental certification program for the Company’s participating timeshare properties, a first for the hospitality industry.
Additionally, in the Company’s fifth year of formal sustainability reporting, its recently released 2014-2015 Corporate Social Responsibility Report details its strong commitment to socially and environmentally responsible business practices.
As part of its overall Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) strategy, Wyndham Worldwide consistently aligns its business and financial performance with the responsible way it operates by maintaining its investment and focus on such areas as sustainability, diversity, human rights, wellness and philanthropy. By holistically integrating Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) into its business, the Company has grown as a responsible corporate citizen that consistently delivers results as one of the best performing hospitality companies in the world.
