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South African hotel is the world's greenest

28 July 2015

Hotel Verde at Cape Town International Airport has been given its second Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Platinum Green Building Certification by the United States Green Building Council, making it the first hotel in the world to achieve a double platinum accreditation.

The hotel received its first platinum endorsement in 2014 in the New Construction in the Green Building Design and Construction category, making it one of only six hotels in the world and the only African hotel to achieve the award. This second certification has now been awarded for fulfilling the Existing Building Operations and Maintenance prerequisites – and it has made Hotel Verde the most environmentally friendly hotel in the world.

In announcing the news, the hotel said that, together with its sustainability consultants Ecolution Consulting and Ecocentric building consulting, hotel management and staff were dedicated to developing a practical and effective environmental building philosophy that exceeded conventional industry practices.

The features highlighted by this newly certified environmental policy include stringent waste management and procurement policies, a comprehensive series of corporate responsibility campaigns, departmental sustainability, as well as biodiversity maintenance. Hotel Verde had optimised happiness and productivity levels through the creation of an entirely carbon-neutral hotel experience for guests and an eco-friendly working environment for staff.

Revolutionary hotel management solutions implemented by Hotel Verde were sustainable and focused on maximising the triple bottom line of people, profit and planet. Mario Delicio, the owner explained that the hotel proved that "to provide something luxurious and sustainable was not only possible, but it was also a business model worth sharing, with the potential to change lives and the industry as we know it".

Andre Harms, the sustainability manager and founder of Ecolution Consulting, said: "We had the opportunity at [the hotel] to look at everything from the ground up with regard to sustainability and efficiency with the commitment to operate sustainability." The new certification meant Hotel Verde was ready lead the way in optimising the operation and maintenance of existing buildings for environmental sustainability.

Helen Zille, premier of Western Cape, congratulated the hotel on the double platinum achievement, and reiterated the dedication the province and its people had to environmental sustainability. "Companies such as Hotel Verde have not only committed to doing business which contributes to economic growth, [but also] continue to lead in innovation in the green economy. I have no doubt that these ground-breaking achievements will lead to many more while inspiring many other businesses to follow suit and adopt these best practices."

Source: Hotel Verde, Cape Town