Congress Park Hanau in Germany awarded Green Globe Certification

LOS ANGELES, CA – Congress Park Hanau, Germany, today announced it has been awarded Green Globe Certification, achieving more than 80 percent of all sustainable indicators.

LOS ANGELES, CA – Congress Park Hanau, Germany, today announced it has been awarded Green Globe Certification, achieving more than 80 percent of all sustainable indicators.

Congress Park Hanau (CPH) is situated in a green location right next to Castle Gardens, and its green credentials are borne out by the way it runs its conferences. This was officially verified during the Green Globe Audit carried out in September this year. The auditors confirmed that the CPH team has integrated sustainability as part of strategic management. The staff at CPH have made every effort to take into account social, ecological, and economic aspects in many areas of their operational processes. Green Globe is a seal of approval for sustainable operation and management recognized throughout the world by the tourism and event management industry.

RELATIONSHIP WITH THE LOCAL COMMUNITY

Over the past two years, an environmental policy unit at the CPH has been developing a series of measures that have since been put into place. These range from comparatively straightforward adjustments, such as switching to recycled paper for all printed media and using only fair-trade and eco-friendly coffee. However, the environmental policy also includes the recording of CO2 emissions during official trips, and employeesโ€™ personally double-checking that equipment and any unnecessary lighting is switched off in the evening.

Regarding cultural indicators, Green Globe auditors Alexandra Frenz and Marc Bonny positively appraised the promotion of the local art scene through the series โ€œArt at the CPHโ€ and the special exhibitions โ€œHessiale 2009โ€ and โ€œPeople โ€“ Pictures โ€“ Emotionsโ€ by Kai Pfaffenbach in August and September 2010.

โ€œWe were greatly impressed by the relationship of the CPH with its local area, and this type of social engagement makes a major contribution towards sustainable economic activity,โ€ explained Marc Bonny, Green Globe auditor.
The audit also verified the way in which the CPH has reinforced its positive effects on the local area through the sale of original Hanau souvenirs, the use of green power via โ€œHanau Naturale,โ€ its referral to regional leisure activities within its supporting program for people attending congresses, and the offering of local services in conference packages.

SET TARGET CLEARLY EXCEEDED

With a rating of 83 percent, the CPH easily surpassed the set target of 51 percent as early as the first stage of the audit, placing it above the general average. “We are, of course, extremely proud that our activities have been so clearly reflected in the result,” said Sven Arends, head of event and property management at the CPH and the driving force behind sustainability.

Nevertheless, there still remains further sustainability targets that need to be addressed over the coming months. For example, the CPHโ€™s suppliers are also to be incorporated into the process through the introduction of long-term procurement guidelines, while the question of adopting new sources of energy used for lighting also needs to be tackled.

ABOUT GREEN GLOBE CERTIFICATION

Green Globe Certification 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 Certification is based in California, USA, and is represented in over 83 countries. Green Globe is the only certification brand to be an affiliate member of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), is partly owned by the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), and a member of the Caribbean Alliance for Sustainable Tourism (CAST) governing council. For information visit www.greenglobe.com .

About the author

Avatar of Linda Hohnholz

Linda Hohnholz

Editor in chief for eTurboNews based in the eTN HQ.

Share to...