April 8, 2008 - Marriott International has outlined a sweeping five-point plan to reduce the environmental impact of its global operations, headlined by a new $2 million carbon-offset deal to preserve endangered rainforests in Brazil. The hotel chain says the plan, developed in partnership with Conservational International, aims to reduce climate footprint, optimize resource efficiency, green the global supply chain, build greener hotels, and engage employees to take environmental action.

Climate Footprint

Marriott has pledged $2 million to help protect endangered rainforest in Brazil. The company has signed an agreement with the Brazilian state of Amazonas to fund an environmental management plan to preserve 1.4 million acres, with the aim of reducing greenhouse gas emissions from deforestation. (The newly created Amazonas Sustainable Foundation, which will administer the project, is pursuing independent certification for its conservation efforts under the Climate, Community and Biodiversity Standards.) By the end of the year, Marriott guests and group customers will be able to offset the greenhouse gas emissions generated from their hotel stays by contributing to this rainforest fund.

Resource Efficiency

Marriott has pledged to cut fuel and water consumption by 25% per available room over the next ten years and install solar power at up to 40 hotels by 2017. The company plans to expand its recycling programs to include both guest and meeting rooms, beginning with pilot hotels in Boston, Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, and Washington, D.C.

Supply Chain

Marriott will work with its top 40 vendors to supply competitively priced, greener products throughout its $10 billion supply chain. Some of the first products to be rolled out this year? Forty-seven million recycled-plastic pens designed for Marriott by BIC, more than 1 million gallons of low-VOC paint, and 1 million "room-ready" towels by Standard Textile, which save water annually by eliminating the need for an initial wash cycle. Other items under consideration include compostable key cards, recyclable carpet, and more responsibly packaged soaps and shampoos, according to Marriott.

"With thousands of hotels around the world, Marriott has the scale to make a strong positive contribution to the environment," notes Glenn Prickett of Conservation International.

Greener Hotels

Marriott will updating its hotel-design guidelines in line with the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED standards by the end of 2009. The company aims to expand its portfolio of LEED-certified hotels across all Marriott brands, and will pursue LEED status for its headquarters building in Bethesda, Md., by the end of 2009.

Employee Engagement

Marriott is introducing a green-meeting program for its major meeting planners this May and will offer hybrid rental vehicles to its employees during business trips. The company says it will also expand its environmental education program to all employees worldwide, including holding its second annual Green Fair at company headquarters later this month.

"We are all guests on this planet, and that's why an integrated green strategy is a business imperative," says Kathleen Matthews, executive vice president of global communications and public affairs and co-chair of Marriott's Green Council.

In March, Marriott mandated that 34 of its North American golf courses earn green certification from the Audubon Society.