Sustainable Management Plan: Can Someone Help Me?

At Green Globe we receive a lot of requests for assistance and as a certification system we have to be mindful that it is our members’ responsibility to complete certification to our standard, based on their own best efforts. That being said however, we are always keen to show members (both current and potential) examples of best practices that can inspire them to do great work within all sustainability criteria.

One common request for assistance is in the creation of a Sustainable Management Plan (SMP) for the business. While our members have lots of great intentions and in many cases a good collection of green practices, it’s the rounding up of these things into a coordinated plan that sometimes proves difficult.

From the collective experience of our membership, we can see that the key first step is to understand the scope of the plan and who (specifically) will be taking charge of delivering key indicators (green practices and activities) that meet Green Globe criteria. One fundamental stumbling block is trying to invent the world’s greatest SMP that ends up creating a work load seperate to the basic business of the hotel, resort or tourism related business.

All good SMPs are plans that are embedded into the business of the company and give great focus to improved performance. Sustainable management includes a green consciousness that is in-sync with conservation of resources and energy and, just as importantly, continuous improvement toward greater efficiency.

So, as a business you already have a plan or at the very least of set of daily practices that deliver results. To make the best possible SMP then, start with your current business and create actions that make it better. Let’s quickly look at some SMPs that are publicly available online as good expamples.

For a large property in an international hotel-group, that has both its own and also its group’s sustainability to consider, we can see Mövenpick Hotel Apartments Al Mamzar Dubai has a robust plan. A green team has been formed across departments and activities with deliverables have been assigned.

From the recently certified Ambassade Hotel Amsterdam we have a good example an SMP for a medium size company. We can see here that the plan focuses on embedding a narrative of good management and at the same time defining and exemplifying green practices that align with criteria.

And finally for smaller or boutique  businesses such as L’Heure Bleue in Madagascar, their plan is much more compact, but has the key themes covered and a very tight monitoring and assessment regime.

About Green Globe Certification

Green Globe is the worldwide sustainability system based on internationally accepted criteria for sustainable operation and management of travel and tourism businesses. Operating under a worldwide license, Green Globe is based in California, USA and is represented in over 83 countries.  Green Globe is an Affiliate Member of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). For information, please visit www.greenglobe.com

Contacts:

Bradley Cox
Director of Communications

Green Globe Certification
5230 Pacific Concourse Drive, Suite 102
Los Angeles,
California 90045
U.S.A.

phone +1-310-337-3000 
fax       +1-310-626-9982
email    [email protected]
web     www.greenglobe.com