InterContinental Genève Creates Dedicated Sustainability Manager Position
The magnificent InterContinental Genève offers amazing views of Lake Geneva, Mont Blanc and the famed Jet d’Eau water fountain. The perfect location for business travelers, close to the United Nations office, the International Conference Centre Geneva and a short drive away from the Palexpo Exhibition Centre.
Green Globe recently recertified InterContinental Genève for the seventh year, awarding the hotel a commendable compliance score of 81%.
Mr Jürgen Kreipl, General Manager at the hotel said, "Green Globe Gold member since 2018, the InterContinental Genève consistently shows its engagement with sustainability. Our colleagues are permanently involved with progressive green practices. This year, for instance, we trained them on the importance of eco-transportation and focused on soft mobility. We also communicate this commitment to our guests by organizing events such as Earth Hour and International Bee Day. Our teams are engaged in delivering excellent service to our guests and preserving our environment."
Over the 2020/21 period the hotel has actively implemented green actions where possible to improve its overall sustainability performance.
Energy Management Systems
Since 2015, the hotel has been part of InterContinental Hotel Group’s (IHG) Green Engage Program. This innovative and advanced online system allows individual hotels to measure and track their energy, water and waste and monitor progress and impacts. The hotel is unique in that water from Lake Geneva is used to cool the hotel building. Water is pumped from deep within the lake at temperatures between 5°C and 8°C and carried via large pipes to cool the premises. This method reduces energy consumption and GHG emissions by using local natural resources.
The hotel has faced many challenges in 2020 resulting from the pandemic situation. Despite these extraordinary circumstances, the hotel has taken the opportunity to invest in improvements by installing four new energy-efficient elevators.
New Sustainability Manager
Sustainability has remained at the forefront of the hotel’s green goals despite fewer resources and limited time available to smaller hotel teams. This commitment was apparent with the appointment of InterContinental Genève’s new Sustainability Manager. The distinct role allows the Sustainability Manager to coordinate, inform, train and learn more about sustainability matters and issues, and pass acquired knowledge onto other staff members. In future, the hotel also hopes to re-establish its entire Green Team, which has been temporarily dissolved, to carry out new and ongoing initiatives.
Eco-friendly Room Service Decorations
To minimize the number of freshly cut flowers used throughout the hotel but still provide tasteful decorations, the room-service department has replaced floral arrangements with reusable items such as tiny ceramic bird decorations.
Bike to Work Campaign
The property has developed a new environmental initiative to reduce CO2 emissions entitled Bike to Work. The aim of the month-long campaign is to encourage staff members to travel to work using environmentally friendly transportation, namely bikes.
Contact
Camille Montagne
Training, Quality & Sustainability Manager
InterContinental Genève
7-9 Chemin du Petit Saconnex 1209
Genève
SWITZERLAND
T: +41 (0) 22 919 37 09
E: Camille.Montagne@ihg.com
W: www.ihg.com
