UK: Sustainability accreditation firm Greengage has awarded Edgbaston Park Hotel and Conference Centre Gold status within its ECOsmart programme.
Owned by the University of Birmingham, the venue is situated on campus around two miles from the city centre, and is made up of a mix of Grade II listed buildings and modern facilities.
The property is targeting net zero carbon status by 2035, with the University of Birmingham committing to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2045.
Properties pay an annual subscription fee to take part in the Greengage ECOsmart programme, with hotels and meeting venues being awarded Bronze, Silver, Gold or Platinum accreditation.
Greengage says that it operates its audit process within the framework of The United Nations Sustainable Development goals, with accreditation based on UN indicators and criteria as well as those of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council and ISO 14001.
Edgbaston Park Hotel and Conference Centre submitted evidence through a survey covering the following six key areas:
- Energy and waste conservation
- Building construction
- Waste management; recycling and plastic
- Sustainable food and beverage management
- Rooms
- Consumables and facilities management
- Corporate and social responsibility
Among the initiatives implemented by the hotel include replacing single-use sauce sachets with Tracklements bottles, removing single-serve jars from the breakfast service, and adding new bins across the property enabling guests to separate food, general waste and mixed recycling.
You can read our FOCUS ON: Single-use plastic and the impact the hotel industry has here and below.
The hotel has also improved energy efficiency through the installation of LED and motion sensor lighting, and says that is uses eco-friendly chemicals and refillable toiletries in guest bedrooms.
Staff are given two days per year to volunteer in the community for a charity of their choice, and the hotel recently raised £1,000 for Birmingham & Black Country Wildlife Trust as part of its annual Family Fun Day.
Last year Edgbaston Park Hotel and Conference Centre was also awarded the Green Meetings gold standard by Green Tourism – one of only 17 conference venues to achieve the standard.
Commenting on the news Julie Crump, director of operations, said: “Not only is it a recognition of all the hard work by the team to drive forward sustainable initiatives, but it recognises the values of our business to be a positive influence on our people and community. There’s a lot more we want to achieve, and this gives us the boost to continue, with the recognition that we are moving the business in the right direction.”
Image supplied by Edgbaston Park Hotel and Conference Centre