Businesses can no longer afford to turn a blind eye to the challenges posed by climate change and the international call to action which continues to flood our media. There is evidence that mankind faces some of the toughest challenges of all time in the next century. As key stakeholders in the Travel and Tourism Industry the Eaton Hotels International recognises the challenges faced by climate change and is committed to minimizing the impact that its operations have on both the environment and local communities.

As an environmentally conscious organisation Eaton Hotels International has aligned itself with the EarthCheck program. EarthCheck is the only international benchmarking and certifying programme for the Travel and Tourism Industry based on Agenda 21 Principals for Sustainable Development. The program provides a framework for organisations to achieve desired outcomes for sustainable operations. The standards are also designed to assist organizations, communities, and developments to become environmentally responsible.

The EarthCheck program is underpinned by the Company Standard which consists of six interrelated stages, all aimed at ensuring the company achieves sustainability.

Step 1 - Policy
The organisation must have a written Environmental and Social Sustainability Policy that addresses the scope and extent of the organisation’s operations and the existing and potential environmental and social impacts relative to its location, the sensitivity of the local environment and the nature and scale of the services provided.

Step 2 - Benchmarking
The organization must regularly record the level of impact of its activities, and keep records for at least three years. Organisations benchmark their environmental and social performance annually against the EarthCheck Sector Benchmarking Indicators and must achieve EarthCheck Benchmarking above baseline performance for all indicators. This data is then submitted to EarthCheck for assessment using the online Benchmarking software.

Step 3 - Compliance
The organisation must know and understand all relevant environmental, public, occupational health and safety, hygiene and employment legislation pertaining to its operations. As well as this the organisation must comply with other requirements, such as cultural/heritage/archaeological legislation to which the organisation is obliged to adhere.

Step 4 - Approach
The approach is the way in which an organisation commits to and manages their environmental and social sustainability performance. The approach must enable an organization to meet the objectives of the sustainability policy and address actual and potential risks identified by a risk assessment.

Step 5 - Performance
This monitors the organisation’s environmental and social performance. It provides a framework to assist operators improve their sustainability and achieve best practice in the 10 EarthCheck Key Performance Areas

Step 6 - Communication
This details the requirements for the organization to communicate their environmental and social commitment, goals and objectives to all interested parties.

Support My Green Flight

At the start of the 21st century we are confronted with a crisis that inevitably links today and tomorrow. This crisis is climate change. As a hotel we believe this crisis is preventable but only just. Internationally we have less than a decade to change course. No other issue presents as many risks and requires more urgent attention or immediate action. We believe development is ultimately about expanding human potential and developing the capability to empower, make choices and lead lives that we believe are of value to society.

Our generation is running up an unsustainable ecological debt that future generations will eventually inherit. Global warming is proof that we are over using and harvesting resources unsustainably, exceeding the Earth’s carrying capacity. Studies predict average global temperatures could increase by 5°C. The threshold for dangerous climate change is an increase of around 2°C. This defines the point at which irreversible ecological damage would become very difficult to avoid.

Emissions generated by the travel and tourism industry contribute to global green house gas emissions everyday. We know that buying carbon credits is not the only answer and the airline industry and their manufactures also need to reduce emissions from their own operations as well. Whilst the industry is taking steps to manage their operations; our own actions and choices come with moral responsibilities including a responsibility to reflect upon our own ecological impact.

Your carbon offset contribution can help the verified and accredited Carbon Credit Project to continue their work in reducing CO2 gases from the environment. Please click on the below link to find out more information and offset your flights now at My Green Flight