Green Globe announced certification of the Pan Pacific Hotel Seattle. Since its opening five years ago, the property has demonstrated leadership and innovation in the fields of operational efficiency and globally-responsible practices on multiple levels.

“Pan Pacific Hotel is thrilled to be one of the first US hotels to earn the prestigious Green Globe Certification,” said Pan Pacific General Manager Sam Johnson, “This achievement would not be possible without our team members’ ongoing commitment to our PanEarth program and its guiding principles of caring for our guests, community, and planet.”

In North America, Pan Pacific Seattle’s PanEarth sustainability program drives the property’s conservation efforts with significant benefits to the business and an enhanced experience for hotel guests. The zero-impact policy encourages guests to support a carbon-neutral stay and to minimize their environmental footprint. Guests can purchase a credit for the generation of clean wind energy. The hotel matches all donations towards renewable energy credits, with 10 percent of total proceeds going to beneficiaries at Food Lifeline, a local non-profit organization for hunger relief. Working with Seattle-based OneEnergy Renewables, the hotel offers a number of options for carbon-neutral meetings and events.

Pan Pacific Hotel Seattle’s award-winning PanEarth sustainability program was created in January 2011 and has since raised more than US$15K for various local charitable organizations and collected or donated more than 8,000 pounds of food. Between its biodegradable key cards and front desk staff uniforms made of recycled bottles, sanitizing of guest soap for relief efforts through Clean The World, and staff-wide community volunteer days, the hotel is dedicated to reducing its environmental impact. Partnering with EverGreen Escapes Cascadia, the property offers PanEarth Escapes, local day tours in luxury bio-fuel vehicles to nearby attractions such as Woodinville Boutique Wine Trail, Seattle Brews&Views, Mt. Rainier National Park, and the San Juan Islands.

Green Globe Certification’s CEO, Guido Bauer, said: “We are extremely pleased to certify the Pan Pacific Hotel Seattle. I am impressed with the achievements through the PanEarth program, which sets benchmarks for environmental efforts in the North American hotel industry. The hotel recently launched a PanEarth Ambassador program, which empowers any staff member to become certified to conduct a back-of-the-house tour of the property that showcases its positive social and environmental impact.”