Shangri La releases sustainability report

Report will be issued every two years to track CSR progress

Shangri-La Asia Limited today released its first sustainability report outlining the company’s progress in the areas of environment, health and safety, employees, supply chain and stakeholder relations for 2010.  The report will be issued every two years to track improvements in its corporate social responsibility (CSR) programmes.

Titled Enhance, Enrich, Embrace, the report details Shangri-La’s commitment to environmental protection and resource management, a focus on social development through investments made in the welfare of colleagues and business partners and Shangri-La’s Care for People Project committing each hotel to education and health projects in local children’s organisations over a minimum of five years.

Highlights include:

• EarthCheck, the global benchmarking and sustainability certification programme, confirmed that Shangri-La reduced its CO2 emissions by seven per cent, energy consumption by five per cent and water consumption by six per cent per guest night in 2010 over 2009 based on 64 operating hotels.
• Out of 40,800 permanent colleagues, people with disabilities (PWD) compose over one per cent of the headcount, progressing further towards the company’s target of two per cent.
• Sixteen per cent of hotels have been certified with OHSA 18001 (Occupational Health and Safety Administration), including 10 hotels that were newly certified in 2010.  Sixteen hotels are scheduled for certification in 2011.
• One hundred per cent of all group contract suppliers adhere to the company’s code of conduct with regular external audits being performed to ensure consistency and compliance.
• All hotels comply with eco-friendly packaging of bathroom amenities made of Plastarch material, which decomposes by almost 70 per cent in 80 days.
• Over HK$2 million has been invested by hotels on various health and education projects offering over 3,300 children better school facilities, enhanced learning environments and hotel service skills.

“Shangri-La has made a long term commitment to operate in an economically, socially and environmentally responsible manner. We are pleased to present this report which will serve as a benchmark for monitoring our development and progress,” said Greg Dogan, president and chief executive officer of Shangri-La International Hotel Management Limited.

“The report is another step towards our goal of being leaders in corporate citizenship and sustainable development and improving the quality of life for the communities in which we do business."

See the report at: www.shangrila.com/en/corporate/aboutus/socialresponsibility/stakeholder.

Valere Tjolle
Valere Tjolle is editor of the Sustainable Tourism Report Suite – special offers HERE