The initiative will offer business events clients an impact report following events at participating properties, which will include an expected 35 properties in Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific.
Across the wider Asia Pacific region, outside China, almost 500 Marriott properties will offer the program.
The impact report will outline the sustainability initiatives in place at the hotel where the event was held alongside detailing the carbon emissions generated by the event and the water usage.
While clients will have to opt in to receive the report, it will be provided at no additional cost. Event clients can pay to offset their carbon emissions through the program, with offset opportunities to be provided by South Pole, a climate consultancy that also develops offset projects.
“There is nothing like connecting in person, and doing so responsibly makes it that much better,” said Marriott International’s chief global officer of global operations Erika Alexander.
“With the Connect Responsibly program, we are giving our meetings and events customers options to better understand the impacts of their meetings as we collectively strive to create a more resilient future for travel.”
The carbon and water footprints will be calculated via methodologies developed by the World Sustainable Hospitality Alliance.
“Meetings and events are important business for Marriott,” said Marriott’s senior vice president of global sales, Tammy Routh.
“Our customers are eager to participate in sustainability efforts.
“Connect Responsibly expands ongoing initiatives and strengthens our efforts focused on sustainability in hospitality.
“We are excited to build on our sustainability reporting capabilities to provide our meetings and events customers with detailed Meeting Impact Reports and offer access to a select portfolio of verified carbon offset projects, through our collaboration with South Pole.”
