Sustainable and green initiatives have received substantial attention from many

business leaders and scholars. It is one of the most powerful shifts in the operation of

organizations in the economy of the 21st century. Many high-profile leaders have employed

multiple sustainable practices into their company culture and structures to reduce their

environmental impacts, create an impact on the society and help boost their profits also. (Cha,

Kim, Cichy; 2018). As we have learned throughout the course, sustainability development

rests on three interdependent concepts which are the economic, environmental and social

poles (Auger, Belanger; 2011). The profile of a sustainability embracer are the organizations

that can balance all these three aspects altogether and focus on long-term benefits of the

environment, the community and the bottom line of the company.

The embracers would contribute greatly to environmental perseverance and adopt

environmentally sustainable practices such as being committed to reducing resource

consumption and waste by switching to natural resources or energy-saving products, etc.

They would also give back to the community and society, making an effort to provide a better

lifestyle for the people in their societies through being and promoting locals, having

sustainable HR policies that provide commendable benefits and welfare to their employees,

etc. Lastly, the embracers would also adopt methods to increase their profit and cultivate the

economy.

One of the organizations that I consider to be an embracer of sustainability is

Fairmont Hotels and Resorts. The organization has been an environmental leader among

eco-friendly hotels for over 25 years. The chain promotes a rich cultural exchange within the

communities by ensuring long-term sustainability and stewardship of the planet. To them,

being environmentally sustainable isn’t just a matter of turning off lights or planting an

organic garden but also prioritizing their guests, their people, their partners, their
communities, their buildings and their food (Fairmont, 2020). Its approach aims at “reducing

overall impact on the planet with forward-thinking and innovative programs promoting

responsible tourism” (Fairmont, 2019) following their key initiatives to design and construct

sustainably, support for biodiversity and Integration of sustainable procurement in our

purchasing process and every business decision they make is believed to contribute to the

environmental activism efforts (Fairmont, 2020). The hotel chain has a goal and a

philosophy they abide with when it comes to being sustainability as they reduce, reuse,

recycle and regenerate. Fairmont have committed to reducing their energy and water

consumption, their generated waste and greenhouse (GHG) emissions. Each hotel monitors,

measures, and reports on their GHG emissions and actively seeks to change ingrained

behaviors. Their efforts are focused on diverting waste from landfills, recycling, and donating

or selling used cooking oil and grease to be turned into biodiesel; all with the promise to

contribute to a healthier environment for future generations (Fairmont, 2020).

The company also tries to raise awareness about sustainability. Colleen Sweitzer,

Marketing Manager and Co-Champion of the Planet 21 Environmental Committee at the

Fairmont Chicago, a Green Seal-certified luxury property at iconic Millennium Park,

revealed that staff participation and the company’s culture is crucial to the success of their

sustainable initiatives. Therefore, they implement policies, provide training to the staff and

remind their guests to be mindful as well. “As a luxury hotel, we must balance good

sustainable choices with making sure we are not sacrificing the standards that have made our

brand great for more than a century”, says Colleen (Tuss, 2020). Fairmont delivers the

sustainability message across all its hotels. For example, Fairmont Le Chateau Montebello,

Fairmont the Norfolk, Kenya, Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise, Alberta, Canada and almost all

operating hotels have taken initiative to reduce their hotel’s energy consumption by

encouraging unnecessary lights and major equipment switched off (or in lower operational
power settings) during room checks, in empty offices and at times when banquet rooms are

empty. Thermostats are checked each month to ensure correct calibration, and modifications

within the daily laundry operations have all proved to lower the property’s total electricity

costs by 13%”. Fairmont Mayakoba also abides with the energy-saving initiatives as all guest

rooms are equipped with LED televisions and 12,780 LED light bulbs are installed. Fairmont

Waterfront, Vancouver “installed a heat-recovery system that captures condensate from

domestic hot-water tanks, then uses it to preheat incoming city water. This process saves an

estimated 305,380 kilowatt-hours (1,100 GJ) per year- enough energy to power

approximately 7 average-sized Canadian homes”. All Fairmont Hotels across the globe have

adopted sustainable practices in their operation for a better environment (Fairmont, 2020).

Fairmont displays itself as a global citizen through their engagement with colleagues

and partners who share their visions and ideals, such as BMW and Pollinator Partnership. The

chain works with local communities as volunteers for environmental clean-up days, food

drives and organic gardening efforts (Fairmont, 2020). In their collaboration with Pollinator

Partnership, they provide support, raising awareness and creating and maintaining apiaries

and wild bee "hotels" (Fairmont, 2020). Fairmont is committed to “proactively protecting its

local environments. In 2008, Fairmont saw an opportunity to help support honey bee health

by placing beehives on rooftop gardens. Today, Fairmont’s Bee Sustainable program features

over 20 honey bee apiaries and more than 20 wild pollinator bee hotels at Fairmont locations

worldwide. Many hotels are also known for nurturing on-property herb and vegetable

gardens, which contribute to pollinator health” (Fairmont, 2019). They recently installed

cameras and hive-tracking devices to track the number of visiting bees and the distance they

travel each day. The chain then gathers data on the honey and analyzes the flower, tree and

plant nectars the bees prefer, which will be compared to the classification of color and grade

of the honey according to the Pfund scale. This is another way Fairmont Hotels and Resorts is
leading the way in hospitality sustainability (Fairmont, 2020). The hotel is also sustainably

mindful in actions that are not seen by customers, such as “thoroughly vetting suppliers prior

to contracting with them to make sure that their partners are not only environmentally

conscious, but also productive members of the community” - Collen Sweitzer (Tuss, 2020).

Fairmont also takes great pride in being “authentically local”. According to

Fairmont's president, “ it represents the community, and how we bring the community into

the hotel, whether it is through the architecture, the uniforms, restaurant menus or service and

delivery” (Sternthal, 2004). Take The Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise as an example, the

two-storey Heritage Hall was designed “with five arched, stained-glass windows, each of

which features the key wildlife found in the Lake Louise area - the eagle, bear, fish, mountain

goat and wolf. Four meeting rooms are named after a historic trail and offer intonation about

the ecosystem and flora” (Sternthal, 2004). The same goes for Fairmont Royal York Toronto,

the meeting rooms are named after the cities and regions of Canada, where the hotel began, as

a way to remember its roots and promote that to its visitors (Fairmont Royal York, 2020).

“Occupy Wall Street suggests that the public is no longer satisfied with corporations

that focus solely on short-term profit maximization. For most companies, however, becoming

sustainable involves a conscious and continuing effort to build long-term value for

shareholders by contributing to a sustainable society”. (Eccles, Perkins, Serafeim; 2012).

Fairmont manages to show long-term financial benefits when executing environmental

practices, despite the great initial investments. According to Colleen Sweitzer in the interview

with Tuss (2020), “in January 2017, Fairmont replaced the water pumps in their 45-story

hotel, spending about 10% more by selecting a super energy efficient model. In 2017 alone,

a13% reduction in our electric costs was seen. This savings exceeded the originally

estimated ROI of 5 years and actualized at just over three years. In 2019, the entire laundry
system was replaced with the new super energy- and water-efficient tunnel system, which has

reduced their water usage for laundry by more than 50% compared to the previous

30-year-old system”

There are a wide range of various sustainable practices and characteristics and there

are countless initiatives an organization can implement to achieve sustainability. The number

of companies that can be considered an embracer of sustainability is immense, same goes for

those who can’t be. Fairmont has been named North America’s leading green hotels for eight

consecutive years from 2013 to 2020 (Fairmont Royal York, 2020). I look to Fairmont Hotels

and Resorts to be an embracer as they are profound in their initiatives, genuine in their

performance and deliberate about the impacts they make.

References:

Auger, D., & Belanger, V. (2011). Perception, understanding and initiatives with regard to

sustainable development: A profile of Québec tourism organizations. Tourism (13327461),

59(1), 83–93.

Cha, J., Kim, S. J., & Cichy, R. F. (2018). Adoption of sustainable business practices in the

private club industry from GMs and COOs’ perspectives. International Journal of Hospitality

Management, 68, 1–11.

Eccles, R. G., Perkins, K. M., & Serafeim, G. (2012, June 01). How to Become a Sustainable

Company. Retrieved December 01, 2020, from

https://sloanreview.mit.edu/article/how-to-become-a-sustainable-company/?utm_source=face

book

Fairmont. (2019). Bee Mission. Retrieved December 01, 2020, from

http://fairmontbeesustainable.com
Fairmont. (2020). Eco-Friendly Hotels:The Fairmont Promise. Retrieved December 01, 2020,

from https://www.fairmont.com/sustainability/

Fairmont. (2020). Hotel Initiatives. Retrieved December 02, 2020, from

https://www.fairmont.com/hotel-initiatives/

Fairmont Royal York. (2020). Meetings at Fairmont Royal York. Retrieved December 01,

2020, from https://www.fairmont.com/royal-york-toronto/meetings/

Fairmont Royal York. Meetings and Events. (2020). Retrieved November 30, 2020, from

https://www.cvent.com/venues/venues/toronto/venue/fairmont-royal-york/venue-4b83a62e-f1

4f-47a1-8658-d489ad605b19?aCode=GBNLGNPYC95

Sternthal, E. F. (2004). Lifestyles of the Fairmont FAmous. Travel Agent, 317(8), 20–23.

Tuss, T. (2020, May 21). The Fairmont Chicago Reaps Benefits of Certification. Retrieved

December 02, 2020, from

https://www.greenseal.org/about/blog/the-business-of-sustainability-the-fairmont-chicago-rea

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